BBC presenter and former executive Alan Yentob dies aged 78 as family issues emotional tribute
Former BBC executive and television presenter Alan Yentob has passed away at the age of 78, his family has confirmed.
Yentob began his career at the BBC as a trainee in 1968 and went on to hold a number of senior roles, including controller of BBC One and BBC Two, director of television, head of music and arts, and director of BBC drama, entertainment, and children’s programming.
His family released a statement announcing the presenter passed away on 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.”
While at BBC Two, Yentob was widely credited with revitalising the channel, commissioning a range of successful programmes including 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 played a pivotal role in launching children’s networks CBBC and CBeebies.
His drama commissions included adaptations such as Middlemarch and Pride And Prejudice, as well as Ballykissangel.
Yentob also made the decision to cancel the Spanish-set soap Eldorado in 1993.
In addition to his commissioning work, he edited and presented the long-running arts documentary series Imagine from 2003.
In 2015, Yentob stepped down from his role as BBC creative director, describing his involvement with the charity Kids Company as a “serious distraction.”
As chairman of the charity’s trustees, he faced scrutiny over his role, as well as accusations that he had attempted to influence BBC coverage of the charity’s struggles.
He always maintained there was no conflict of interest in his decision to contact Newsnight about its investigation into Kids Company, insisting he had not “abused my position at the BBC”.
Paying tribute, 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 received an Honorary Doctor of Letters from De Montfort University, Leicester, in 2005.
Last year, he was awarded a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) by the King for services to the arts and media.
BBC Radio 4 presenter Amol Rajan paid tribute to Yentob in a video on Instagram, describing him as “such a unique and kind man: an improbable impresario from unlikely origins who became a towering figure in the culture of post-war Britain.
“Modern Art never had a more loyal ally. His shows were always brilliant, often masterpieces, sometimes seminal. So much of Britain’s best TV over 5 decades came via his desk.
“That was public Alan. In private, he was magnetic, zealous, and very funny, with a mesmerising voice and mischievous chuckle. He oozed fortitude until the very last.
“He had his foibles and failures, but Alan Yentob was one of the most generous, influential, singular, passionate, supportive, creative and loved men of his generation. I commend his spirit to the living.”