Their resignations came after the editorial decisions were reported by The Telegraph newspaper, which cited a leaked internal BBC memo that said the program had edited two parts of the US president's speech to make it appear as if he was explicitly inciting the riots at the Capitol in January 2021.

The leaked memo was provided by Michael Prescott, a former independent external adviser to the BBC's editorial standards committee, who resigned from the role in June, the BBC reports.

Mr Prescott expressed concern about the documentary"Trump: A Second Chance?", which was broadcast last year and was commissioned by the BBC and produced by independent production company October Films Ltd.

On Sunday, UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said the Panorama issue was “very serious.” She said there were a number of “very serious allegations” made against the BBC, “the most serious of which is that the BBC is systematically biased in its reporting on difficult issues.”

Managers resign due to scandal

Davie became Director General of the BBC in September 2020. He previously served as Director General of BBC Studios for seven years. He oversaw the merger of the distribution company BBC Worldwide and the corporation's production arm. He also served as Director General of the BBC from November 2012 to April 2013. He is stepping down after 20 years at the institution.

"I wanted to announce that after 20 years I have decided to leave the BBC. It is entirely my decision and I remain very grateful to the Chairman and the Board for their unwavering and unanimous support throughout my tenure, including in recent days," he said.

According to T. Davie, he is coordinating precise deadlines with the board so that an orderly transfer of these duties to another manager can be made in the coming months.

"In these increasingly polarised times, the BBC has a unique value and speaks to the very best of us. It helps to make the UK a special place that is incredibly welcoming, tolerant and curious. Like all public organisations, the BBC is not perfect and we must always be open, transparent and accountable. While it is not the only reason, the current debate over BBC News has understandably contributed to my decision. <...> Overall, the BBC is doing a good job, but some mistakes have been made and as Director General I must take ultimate responsibility," Davie said.

Ms Turness has been Director General of BBC News since 2022, overseeing BBC News and Current Affairs. In this role, she was responsible for a team of around 6,000 people broadcasting to almost half a billion people worldwide in more than 40 languages. She was previously Director General of ITN, leading the organisation’s post-COVID growth strategy. Before joining the BBC and ITN, she was President of NBC News from 2013 to 2017, and then President of NBC News International. She was previously the Editor of News at ITV, the first female editor and the youngest to hold the position.

Ms Turness, who has resigned as director general of BBC News, says she has"made a difficult decision".

"It will no longer be my duty to lead you in implementing our shared vision: to pursue truth without any goals," she said.

The woman added that"the ongoing Panorama controversy about President Trump has reached a stage where it is damaging the BBC, an institution that I love."

"I take full responsibility," she said, adding that she had offered Tim Davie his resignation on Saturday."While mistakes have been made, I want to be absolutely clear that recent allegations that BBC News is institutionally biased are wrong."