New acting chair of BBC named as Dame Elan Closs Stephens
A new BBC chair has been appointed after the corporation's previous boss was forced to resign amid accusations of cronyism.
Professor Dame Elan Closs Stephens has been named as the BBC's acting chair for the next 12 months or until the government finds someone to fill the role permanently, whichever comes sooner.
She is described by the government as an "experienced chair and non-executive director who has spent a career in broadcasting, the creative industries and academia".
Dame Elan has been a member of the BBC’s governing body since 2010, first serving as Member for Wales on the BBC Trust, until its dissolution in 2017, and then as the Welsh member of the BBC Board.
Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer, who appointed her, said: "I am pleased that Dame Elan will take up the position of Acting Chair of the BBC and has the unanimous support of the Board.
"When she takes over, Dame Elan will provide stability in the leadership of the BBC while a process to appoint a new permanent Chair is run."
Professor Dame Elan Closs Stephens said it was a "huge honour" to be appointed, as she highlighted her priorities in the role.
"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."
Dame Elan succeeds Richard Sharp, who was forced to quit after an investigation found he breached the governance code for public appointments.
Concerns had been raised about Boris Johnson's decision to appoint him, given his role in helping the former prime minister secure a loan.
The investigation found Mr Sharp, a former Conservative Party donor, "failed to disclose potential perceived conflicts of interest" to a panel of interviewers, risking the perception that he was given the job because he "assisted" Mr Johnson in a personal financial matter.
The failure to disclose, the report concluded, created the risk that Mr Sharp, and indeed the BBC, could be viewed as not fully independent from Downing Street.
In his resignation statement, Mr Sharp said: "Indeed, I have always maintained the breach was inadvertent and not material, which the facts [Mr Heppinstall] lays out substantiate. The Secretary of State has consulted with the BBC Board who support that view.
"Nevertheless, I have decided that it is right to prioritise the interests of the BBC.
"I feel that this matter may well be a distraction from the corporation's good work, were I to remain in post until the end of my term.
"I have, therefore, this morning, resigned as the BBC chair to the Secretary of State and to the board."
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