Dame Elan Closs Stephens becomes acting Chair of the BBC

Dame Elan Closs Stephens steps into the position soon to be vacated by Richard Sharp who resigned in April as BBC chairman after conceding a report found he breached the governance code for public appointments.

In January, it emerged that Sharp had facilitated an £800,000 loan for Boris Johnson while he was Prime Minister and just months before the government appointed him to the BBC board. The revelations led many to question his suitability for maintaining the BBC’s independence – a key role of the Chairman.

A report into his appointment was ordered and was overseen by barrister Adam Heppinstall KC. In light of its finding, Sharp decided to step down as BBC Chair with his resignation taking effect from the end of June.

Richard Sharp, Chairman of the BBC said in April:

“Being the Chairman of the BBC has been an enormous privilege. It is an incredible organisation which has never mattered more than it does today, at home in the UK and around the world. I am very proud to have worked with the uniquely talented teams across the BBC. They are the best at what they do and I shall always be their champion.”

The UK Government confirmed Professor Dame Elan Closs Stephens will be the Acting Chair of the BBC from June 27th onwards. Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer made the appointment following consultation with the BBC Board, in line with the terms of the BBC’s Royal Charter.

Dame Elan has been a non-executive director on the BBC Board since July 2017, and prior to that was the Trustee for Wales on the BBC Trust (2010 – 2017). Between 2019 and 2022, she was Chair of the Commercial Holdings Board for BBC Studios. Under the BBC’s Charter an Acting Chair must be an existing non-executive director on the BBC Board.

Dame Elan Closs Stephens:

“It’s a huge honour to be appointed by the Secretary of State as Acting Chair and I am grateful to my fellow Board Members for putting their trust in me. As a Board, we will champion the licence fee payer across all of the UK; ensure the BBC is a vital partner for the UK creative industries; maintain trust and drive change to make the BBC fit for a fast changing media landscape. There is much work to be done.”