BBC seeks 10% headcount cut
April 15, 2026
As many as 2,000 jobs could be cut by the BBC across departments as part of a radical downsizing of the UK’s public service broadcaster ahead of the arrival of new director-general Matt Brittin.
BBC employees are expected to be told that about one in 10 could lose their jobs at an all-staff meeting, according to FT sources. Senior leaders at the BBC were briefed on the plans. The BBC currently employs around 21,500 staff across the UK.
The job cuts are part of plans announced by the BBC in February to cut costs by about 10 per cent over the next three years —about £500 million (€507m) — in the face of “substantial financial pressures”. The BBC’s total public service spending last year was more than £4 billion.
The BBC cutbacks come as the corporation is locked in negotiations with the government about its future and funding via the licence fee as part of the renewal of its royal charter at the end of 2027. The new DG was due to meet with the DCMS Secretary on the day the cuts were revealed.
The licence fee will increase in line with inflation this year, but this is expected to be partly offset by a 1 per cent decline in the number of payers.