Former Daily Telegraph editor Charles Moore has ruled himself out of the running to become the next chairman of the BBC.
Last weekend the Sunday Times quoted a government source as saying that Moore’s appointment was “virtually a done deal”.
However, the same newspaper has now reported that Moore has decided not to seek the role for personal reasons. Government sources had always emphasised that the formal recruitment process for the position had yet to begin.
Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden did say that the government wanted “a strong, big person who can hold the BBC to account” in response to the original story.
Moore is an arch-critic of the BBC and in 2010 was fined £262 for failing to have a TV licence. He had refused to pay the fee in protest at the prank calls made by comedian Russell Brand and presenter Jonathan Ross to the actor Andrew Sachs.
Moore’s writings on race, Islam and homosexuality have also come under renewed scrutiny since he was publicly associated with the role.
David Clementi, the current BBC chairman, is due to step down when his term in office ends in February, after overseeing the appointment of Tim Davie as the new Director General.
