Christa Ackroyd ‘close’ to reaching deal over leaving BBC

Ms Ackroyd has received around £50,000 of licence feepayers’ money after she continued to be paid despite being withdrawn from anchoring the BBC’s flagship news programme Look North more than three months ago.

Officially the corporation has insisted the presenter, who is paid more than £150,000 a year, was taken off air for unspecified “editorial reasons” but speculation persists there has been a dispute surrounding her freelance status and payment of tax. Presenters who have been filling in for Ms Ackroyd since she went off air on February 28 are paid in the region of £40,000 a year.

A BBC spokeswoman was unable to clarify if any explanation will be provided if and when Ms Ackroyd’s expected departure is agreed but Shipley MP Philip Davies, a member of the Commons’ culture, media and sport select committee, insisted the corporation had a public duty to account for what had happened.

Mr Davies wrote to BBC director general Lord Hall to raise the issue last month and has received a short response confirming Ms Ackroyd has continued to be paid and promising the BBC was endeavouring to resolve the situation as quickly as possible.

The MP said: “My view is the whole thing seems to be a farce. If the BBC want to keep all these things confidential, they should become a privately-funded organisation.

“While ever they expect the public to stump up £3.5bn to fund them they have got to be more transparent. They certainly don’t pay a licence fee to pay a huge salary to someone who isn’t working.”

Ms Ackroyd said she was not in a position to comment.

The BBC has refused to explain Ms Ackroyd’s absence but has continually stated she is still working for the BBC, without any clarification of what that work involves.