Clive Myrie Apologizes for Undisclosed External Earnings of £145,000

Presenter Clive Myrie has issued an apology for not disclosing to the BBC at least £145,000 in income derived from activities external to the corporation. According to BBC regulations, presenters are required to report their earnings from outside engagements on an external events register, which the corporation releases quarterly. The most recent quarterly register additionally lists 28 engagements undertaken by Myrie that he had not previously reported, with some dating back to 2021. Myrie stated that his failure to complete the necessary documentation was due to “administrative issues,” and he confirmed he would cease participating in paid external events, apart from a few pre-existing commitments. On X, Myrie wrote: “An apology – I’ve had several administrative issues, and I didn’t fill out the correct paperwork for some of my external public events, so they haven’t been published until now.” He further added: “I’ve told the BBC I won’t be taking part in any more paid external events in the foreseeable future, beyond a handful of pre-existing commitments, so that this doesn’t happen again. My sincere apologies.” The retrospective declarations made by Myrie extend back to March 2021 and encompass roles such as moderator, host, speaker, contributor, and panel chair. For five of these events, the newsreader received over £10,000 individually. Eighteen of the events indicated a fee for him ranging from £5,000 to £10,000, while five events were recorded as generating between £1,000 and £5,000. While Myrie has previously declared engagements in earlier quarterly registers, the entries in the most recent publication are retrospective, meaning they were not reported during the quarters in which they occurred. Additionally, two other BBC presenters have disclosed retrospective income on the current register. Lucy Hockings received a minimum of £5,000 for a single role as a moderator, and Jonny Dymond earned at least £1,000 for two engagements as a host and interviewer. Since 2021, on-air personnel in journalistic and senior leadership positions have been mandated to declare their earnings from external sources. A spokesperson for the BBC stated: “The external events register forms part of the BBC’s commitment to ensure the highest standards of impartiality across the organisation. Individuals who have failed to follow the correct process have been reminded of their responsibilities with regards to the register.“Where significant non-compliance has occurred, robust management action has been taken. Clive has apologised for his errors and will not be taking part in paid external events for the foreseeable future.“We will be publishing an update to our current guidelines to add specific language around the volume of paid external events individuals will be permitted to undertake. As the current guidelines set out, breaches of the process can lead to disciplinary action.”