Former BBC executive and TV presenter Alan Yentob has died at the age of 78, his family has announced. Yentob joined the BBC as a trainee in 1968 and held positions as controller of BBC One and BBC Two, director of television, head of music and arts, as well as the director of BBC drama, entertainment and children’s.
A statement from his family, released by the BBC, said Yentob died on Saturday, May 24. His wife Philippa Walker said: “For Jacob, Bella and I every day with Alan held the promise of something unexpected. Our life was exciting, he was exciting.
“He was curious, funny, annoying, late and creative in every cell of his body. But more than that, he was the kindest of men and a profoundly moral man. He leaves in his wake a trail of love a mile wide.”
During his tenure at BBC2, he was credited with the revitalisation of the channel with commissions like Absolutely Fabulous, starring Jennifer Saunders and Dame Joanna Lumley, arts series The Late Show and Have I Got News For You, which later moved to BBC One.
He also launched CBBC and CBeebies.
His drama commissions included Middlemarch and Pride And Prejudice – which cemented actor Colin Firth’s status as a heartthrob – as well as Ballykissangel, and he also took the decision to cancel Spanish-set soap Eldorado in 1993. He also previously edited and presented the arts documentary series Imagine from 2003.
In 2015 he stepped down as BBC creative director, saying at the time that his role at the charity Kids Company was a “serious distraction”.
Yentob, who was chairman of trustees at the charity, faced scrutiny over his role as well as claims he tried to influence coverage at the corporation of its troubles.
He always insisted there was no conflict of interest in his decision to call Newsnight about its investigation into Kids Company and had not “abused my position at the BBC”.
The BBC’s director-general Tim Davie said: “Alan Yentob was a towering figure in British broadcasting and the arts. A creative force and a cultural visionary, he shaped decades of programming at the BBC and beyond, with a passion for storytelling and public service that leave a lasting legacy.
“For nearly 60 years Alan championed originality, risk-taking and artistic ambition. From Arena to Imagine, from commissioning groundbreaking drama to giving emerging voices a platform, his influence is woven into the fabric of British cultural life.
“He believed profoundly in the BBC’s role as a home for creativity, curiosity and the arts – accessible to all.
“But Alan was more than a pioneering creative – he was an unforgettable presence. Engaging, witty and endlessly curious, he brought energy and warmth to every conversation. He was generous with his time, fierce in his convictions, and full of joy in the work of others.
“To work with Alan was to be inspired and encouraged to think bigger. He had a rare gift for identifying talent and lifting others up – a mentor and champion to so many across the worlds of television, film and theatre.
“Above all, Alan was a true original. His passion wasn’t performative – it was personal. He believed in the power of culture to enrich, challenge and connect us.
“We have lost one of the great creative spirits of our time. But his programmes, his voice, and the generations he inspired, will live on.
“Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones. Alan will be hugely missed as a friend, a colleague, and one of the defining figures in the story of British culture.”
Yentob was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Letters from De Montfort University, Leicester in 2005. In 2024 he was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) by the King for services to the arts and media.
