BBC's new director general is starting as ex news boss blasts 'trans activist colleagues'

Published: 23:43, 17 May 2026 | Updated: 23:43, 17 May 2026 The BBC enters a new leadership era on Monday amid renewed scrutiny of the broadcaster's culture after a former news chief claimed she was driven out of her job by colleagues who were trans activists. Director-general Matt Brittin takes charge at the corporation after ex director of news and current affairs Fran Unsworth said she felt forced out. She received support from viewers after claiming there was 'bullying' from trans activists inside the broadcaster. Ms Unsworth, 68, who ran the BBC's news division from 2018 to 2022, said the atmosphere became 'increasingly unmanageable' as staff embraced what she called a 'mono-perspective' on transgender issues. 'I would actually say it drove me out,' she told her former colleague Rob Burley in a new interview published by website UnHerd. 'Just dealing with the progressive editorial issues and the bullying around them all. It was incredibly difficult.' She said there was a 'progressive madness' sweeping through institutions across the country and alleged that news staff at the BBC who tried to challenge the prevailing consensus faced an 'awful lot of pressure' from every department. She added: 'It wasn't just the trans issue. People didn't want to hear from certain points of view; they'd 'no platform' them; all that safe-spaces s***.' Director-general Matt Brittin, the former Google president for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, takes charge at the BBC on Monday Ex director of news and current affairs Fran Unsworth, who ran the BBC's news division from 2018 to 2022, said she felt forced out of the coorporation Mr Brittin, 57, the former Google president for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, arrives at the BBC with no broadcasting experience. His friends describe the job as 'thankless'. The BBC faces chaos on multiple fronts, including a debate about the future of the licence fee. Scott Mills, the former Radio 2 breakfast host, is allegedly preparing to sue the corporation for unfair dismissal after he was sacked in March.  The BBC discovered that an alleged victim in a police investigation involving Mills, which ran from 2016 to 2019 before being dropped because of lack of evidence, was under 16. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.