Alan Yentob’s resignation is the final scene in the Kids Company drama

BBC Creative Director Alan Yentob is stepping down from his role. Credit: PA

Alan Yentob’s resignation is the final scene in the last act of the Kids Company drama.

Yentob was left damaged yesterday after the Chair of the BBC Trust refused to publicly support him.

He has been severely criticised for his role as the Chairman of Trustees at the now defunct charity Kids Company.

But it isn’t that criticism which has cost him his job as Creative Director at the BBC.

It is the fact that he was accused of trying to influence the BBC’s coverage of the collapsing charity; ringing radio presenters, challenging producers and confronting reporters.

Kids Company founder Camila Batmanghelidjh and Alan Yentob were quizzed by MPs in October.

A sympathetic interpretation would be that this is a man whose passion clouded his judgment. He returned my calls and rang me during the heat of the story to make sure I was aware of the charity’s “side of the story”.

He was passionate, no conflict there - I don’t work for the same company in which he is a senior director. But if I’d worked for the BBC it would have felt very different.

His critics say he exploited his seniority to try to influence BBC coverage.

The BBC’s Director General Tony Hall today said that an internal BBC News investigation had concluded Mr Yentob “did not influence the BBC coverage of Kids Company”.

But interestingly - it didn’t clear him of trying to.

Yentob will leave his £180,000 a year job as Creative Director but continue to make his Arts Programme, Imagine, and remains as Chairman of BBC Films.

He insists there has never been any conflict but is stepping down as the discussion about his position is a “distraction” for the BBC at a critical time.

Camila Batmanghelidjh, the founder of Kids Company, hadn’t heard the news of his resignation when I called her to ask for her reaction. She said it was “incredibly sad”.