The BBC director general has said he has “kind of banned” referring to its high-profile staff as “talent” as the corporation grapples with the fallout from controversies involving a number of senior presenters.

Tim Davie was speaking after the BBC launched an independent review of its workplace culture after scandals including the one surrounding the disgraced presenter Huw Edwards.

Other controversies have included a furore over the welfare of contestants on the 2023 season of Strictly Come Dancing, and the sacking of the presenter Jermaine Jenas after complaints about his workplace conduct.

Speaking to Nick Robinson on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Davie said no one at the corporation was “indispensable”. He told Robinson: “We often refer to people like yourself as talent, but I’ve kind of banned that. You’re a presenter, I’m a leader of the organisation, and we’re here to serve.

“I do think over the last decade or so we’ve seen fundamental changes in the culture in this industry, and it hasn’t been completely unique [to the BBC that] those that have had power in places can often use that in bad ways. I think the BBC is utterly committed – you see us acting in good faith to get at this [issue] – and I would say [it is] important that everyone is treated equally regardless of rank.”

The corporation last week announced the start of an independent review into its workplace culture by Grahame Russell, the executive chair and founder of the management consultancy Change Associates.

The review would “be helpful for us” in “sorting this culture”, Davie said, adding: “It’s about how people deploy power in a workplace, we’ve all seen it, it’s not unique to the BBC. Many good or bad things happen in the new age, but one thing we should take comfort from is that things are improving. People need to speak up and everyone at every level needs to be heard.”

The BBC boss was also asked if there had been progress on Edwards returning the estimated £200,000 salary he was paid between his arrest and leaving the corporation in April. He said there had been “some dialogue with the lawyers, but we’re yet to resolve that issue”, and suggested he was waiting for Edwards to respond.

Asked if he believed the money would be returned, Davie said: “I think the ball is clearly not in my court on that one.”

Edwards pleaded guilty in July to three counts of making indecent images of children, having accessed indecent photographs of children as young as seven that were sent to him by a convicted paedophile. He was given a six-month suspended prison sentence.

Davie was speaking before a speech to the Future Resilience Forum in London, where he appealed to the government to bolster funding of the World Service amid what he called an “all-out assault on truth worldwide” by hostile states and others.

“Bad actors” such as Russia were already moving into the void left by the loss of audiences for the BBC World Service by setting up in places such as Lebanon to pump out “unchallenged propaganda”, said Davie, as he warned that the stakes were high. “We are at a moment of choice. A choice to step aside and allow disinformation to destabilise our societies and disrupt our democracies. Or to fight back and pursue truth.”

TV VET Dr. Scott Miller shocked fans when he appeared on This Morning in a wheelchair.

The TV star, who rose to fame in Aussie vet drama Animal Hospital, had a medical emergency on his way to work back in August.

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He found himself rushed to hospital after hurting his back and remained in hospital for a few days.

Two months on, he has shared the dramatic the details exclusively with The Sun Online.

“I had two slipped discs. I actually went into This Morning and I reached to get some sunglasses, very, very macho, into the back of the car,” he said.

“And then I literally took five steps and I couldn’t get past the front door, really. Had to get rolled on in a wheelchair onto the set to do my item because I said that I definitely wanted to do it.

“But by the time I got home, I couldn’t stand. I couldn’t stand or sit.”

He continued: “So I had to crawl in and out of my car and then in the end it just was so bad.

“I went to A&E and then was admitted to hospital for five days. And, yeah, so two MRIs later and lots of medication.

“Thankfully, I didn’t need surgery. Now it’s sort of, you know, exercise and to sort of get myself right. But, yeah, it was a big wake up call.”

Scott badly injured his back just days after celebrating his 49th birthday.

The last time he was in hospital he praised the medics for swiftly coming to his aid.

He was also allowed visits from his dog Mango while in hospital.

Scott moved to the UK after finding fame on Aussie TV’s hit show, Animal Hospital.

As well as being This Morning’s resident vet, he runs three small animal practices in South-west London.

Catch This Morning on weekdays from 10am until 12.30pm on ITV and ITVX.

CHERRY Healey has revealed she ditched her “farce” of a boyfriend after starring in TV’s toughest reality series, Celeb SAS: Who Dares Wins.

The BBC presenter, 43, told how she was “infatuated” with a former lover as she signed up for the Channel 4 programme.

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Yet braving the elements, tough military talk and nail-biting challenges including jumping out of a holiday sparked a change oin mindset when it came to her love life.

After returning to home turf, she called time on the former relationship due to her newfound “self confidence.”

Cherry told OK! Magazine: “It’s one of the best things I’ve ever done.

“When I came out, I’d been dating this guy who was full of shenanigans.

“You know, there was lots of classic rubbish behaviour. I was really infatuated.

“I got back and the first thing I did was break it off with him because I thought, ‘There’s no way I’m going to jump out of a helicopter and then continue with this absolute farce.’

“So yeah, it changes you as a person and gives you a lot of self-confidence.”

The screen star, who is known for her BBC Three documentaries, told how it was an “immediate yes” when her agent got the call.

The mum of two had told how she needed a challenge as she entered perimenopause.

She added on her life shift: “There’s this preconception that when you become perimenopausal or menopausal you go and live under the bridge with all the other trolls.

“I really passionately want to wave the flag for this stage in your life.

“You can be vibrant, healthy, flourishing, thriving, have great sex, you can start a new job and travel.”

NEW CHAPTER

Fresh from ditching her former lover, Cherry has hit her stride.

She found love with fellow fitness fan Justin and back in June, the pair went Instagram official.

She ended her six-year relationship with advertising executive Carl Kisseih last year.

Sharing a string of snaps with her new man, Cherry wrote in her caption: “Cheesy post alert.

“Celebrating the most amazing six months with the smartest, coolest, most fun, kindest man I’ve ever met – feel like the luckiest girl in the world – Happy Anniversary @corporateath1ete.”

She was previously wed to entrepreneur Roly Allen and the couple have two children together, daughter Coco, 13, and son Bear, nine.

The BBC host also recently revealed how she binned off a date who talked about himself for 90 minutes solid.

She told The Sun: “This guy was gorgeous but talked about himself for an hour and a half. 

“He turned to me and said ‘do you want another drink?’ and I said ‘You know what, I’m going to go home because all you’ve done is talk about yourself and people I don’t know’.”

Yet, despite this Cherry, who has presented shows like Inside The Factory with Gregg Wallace, says dating in her 40s is better than any other decade.

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Si King has admitted he has been struggling following the death of his Hairy Bikers co-star Dave Myers earlier this year.

Myers died of cancer in February, aged 66. The pair, who were creative partners as well as best friends, fused their love of motorcycles and cooking in a series of shows, which aired across the BBC One, BBC Two, Channel 5 and Good Food.

The chef announced he had cancer in 2022 with their last show airing shortly after his death.

King, 57, said he often felt the urge to escape his grief by “heading into the sunset”, but has decided to move forward with his life as Myers would have wanted.

“I’ll be honest with you, the past few months have been a struggle,” he said in an interview with The Sunday Times.

“More than once I was on the verge of jumping on my bike and heading into the sunset.

“Not tell anyone where I was going. Just clear off and never come back.

“Other times I was raging. Raging at that bloody disease, at God and anything else I could think of. People were asking what I was going to do next.

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“The answer is I am going to take some time to reflect on the life I had with my best mate, and think about moving forwards.

“Which is exactly what Dave would have wanted. Move forward, don’t dwell on the past.”

In the interview, which was published in The Observer in June, King opened up about the loss of his friend – and also the subject of what he will do next.

He ruled out the possibility of continuing Hairy Bikers without Myers.

“It can’t be the Hairy Bikers 2.0,” he said. “That’s not going to happen. It wouldn’t be respectful.”

King went on to explain that he is not only mourning the death of his friend, but also the life and career that they shared together.

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“There’s obviously the sense of losing your best mate,” he said. “But there’s also a sense of loss in that the experiences we had together can’t go on.”

The TV personality said that he has only recently, three months after Myers’ death, been able to grapple with the question of what is next for him career-wise.

He emphasised the importance of having a professional partner, stating: “I need someone to play off. I’m good at unpacking people. I’m genuinely interested in people’s stories.”

BIG Brother is involved in a brand new bullying row after viewers have accused housemates of ‘cruelly belitting’ one of their co-stars.

During last night’s episode, Ali, 38, and Khalid, 23, had a heated conversation about what happened on Friday night moments before Ryan was the first housemate to be evicted.

The forensic psychologist branded Khalid “false” in a shocking showdown.

Ali started: “Do you know what it is Khalid… I think you’re a nice boy but I find, sometimes, the interactions, I find false.

“I find that very very difficult because I don’t want to engage with it.

“Because I don’t want to play into, I don’t want to be fake with you…

“I don’t want to be like shaking your hand, hugging you, when inside I don’t buy it.”

She continued: “At the eviction, you’re sitting there yawing, acting bored, when other people are facing something stressful.

“When Iz was looking worried, you were like ‘why you looking worried, you’re not up for eviction’. I’m like that’s basic empathy.

“That’s why Iz was worried and upset.

“There’s no need for these long speeches to check up on us.”

Khalid replied: “I wanted to come speak to you tonight but I said I thought tonight would not be the right time.

“Everyone’s vibing weird with everyone. It’s weird.

“All I wanted to do was see what it was.

“The only difference from before and after was the party, so everyone assumed it was the party. That’s not me. That’s everyone. “

Khalid then explained that he’s not as articulate as her, to which she said she didn’t want to hurt him, it’s just who she has noticed it in the most.

Big Brother 2024 cast

A brand new batch of Big Brother housemates are living it up in the famous compound.

Meet the cast of the 2024 series:

• Rosie, 29, dental assistant from Cornwall.
• Emma, 53, aesthetics business owner from Altrincham.
• Segun, 25, charity videographer from Watford.
• Nathan, 24, pork salesman from Dumfries.
• Daze, 24, climate activist from London.
• Khaled, 23, sales manager from Manchester.
• Martha, 26, NHS administrator from Scarborough.
• Lily, 20, Chinese takeaway server from Warrington.
• Ali, 30, Forensic psychologist from London.
• Thomas, 20 amputee footballer from Carlisle.
• Ryan, 28, marketing and events from Stockport.
• Hannah, 24, HR consultant from West London.
• Izaaz, 29, sales consultant from London.
• Sarah, 27, spa account manager from Shrewsbury.
• Marcello, 34, youth mentor from East London.
• Dean, 35, barber from East London

Ali said: “I have said what you think and you have defended yourself.

“So is that not now the end of the conversation? We don’t have to agree.”

She’d had enough and got up and walked off.

Many have taken to X, formerly known as Twitter, to say the same thing.

One said: “Ali is so fake, can tell she was the high school bully.”

“Ali is trying to use her degree to belittle and indirectly bully Khaled … cute,” another added.

A third chimed in: “Ali and Lily are bullies if this was the other way around everyone would be demanding the producers to step in #bbuk.”

A fourth tweeted: “Me when i see Ali and Lily start to bully Khaled when he’s just being a nice human and practising his morals…”

A fifth wrote: “Idc Ali is a bully and if your not kissing the ground she walks on they are fake.”

It comes after Ali admitted she thought Khaled was “fake”.

Khaled was rewarded with immunity and became head of the house following the challenge tonight.

Ali told some of the group: “Can I just say, keep your inside thoughts inside Ali. Keep them inside.”

Lily piped up and said: “I’ll say it. I think Khaled is fake.”

Ali agreed and echoed: “I think Khaled is fake as well.”

Lily went on: “I think everyone in here doesn’t see it except for me.”

Forensic psychologist Ali explained: “So, he’s worried about being perceived in a certain way.

“He doesn’t feel terrible. He wants to look like he feels terrible.”

He’s impression managing, he’s worried about being percieved in a certain way, he constantly will present himself as the nice guy

“He doesn’t want to look like he’s revelling in a party because that will make him not look like a nice guy.”

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Katya Jones has hit out at the ”absurd” claims about her interactions with Wynne Evans on Strictly Come Dancing.

The latest episode of the BBC competition aired on Saturday (12 October), with the results show, which sent home the third celebrity, airing the following night.

Opera singer Evans received his highest scores of the series so far, but this was outshadowed by a furore caused by videos showing his background interactions with Jones.

After the Saturday episode, a video showing Evans awkwardly placing his hand on his professional partner’s stomach, in which Jones removed it and placed it on her hip instead, went viral on social media.

Later, a separate clip was shared from viewers who noticed that Jones refused to give Evans a high five while stood behind the show’s co-host Claudia Winkleman. Jones turned her back on Evans and seemingly rolled her eyes at the opera singer.

Many fans predicted something was “off” between the pair, with some adding they felt tension – but Jones and Evans, realising there was a social media furore brewing, shut down any suggestion of a feud with a video shared online.

When this failed to end the speculation, though, Jones herself shared an additional statement, in which she said: “Happy Sunday, everyone. Now I need to make something crystal clear.

“The hand incident that happened on Saturday night was a very silly inside joke between Wynne and I, so even the idea that it made me feel uncomfortable or offended me in any way is complete nonsense.

“It’s quite absurd, actually. Can we focus on how brilliantly he’s doing and what an amazing dancer he’s become?’”

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In the earlier video, Jones had said: “Hi everyone, it’s Wynne and Katya here. We just wanted to say, we were just messing around in the Clauditorium on Saturday night. We just wanted to say sorry. It was a silly joke.”

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Evans chimed in, saying: “Yeah. Sorry.” He then wrote in the video caption: “Apologies for this tonight, we were just messing around. We really are amazing friends. The high fives [are] a running joke. Have a great evening.”