Thompson claimed £2k to fly home after Sachs affair
The BBC’s director-general claimed more than £2,000 in expenses for cutting short a family holiday after the scandal on Radio 2’s Russell Brand show, it emerged today.
The claim by Mark Thompson was revealed after the BBC released the expenses and salary details from its top 100 earners.
Claims included staff dinners costing over £1,000 and £99.99 for a bottle of Krug Grande Cuvée champagne as an 80th birthday present for Bruce Forsyth.
Mr Thompson was heavily criticised for his initial inaction after messages left on the voicemail of Fawlty Towers actor Mr Sachs caused public outcry. The director general eventually agreed to curtail his family holiday in Italy but on the pre-agreement that the BBC would meet the bill.
A note on the claim reads: “The chairman of the Audit Committee of the Executive Board agreed that the expense of cutting a family holiday short would be met by the BBC in advance of the claim being made.”
The BBC refused to release specifics of the salaries of “talent” and expenses claims relating to big name stars, releasing only total amounts for items such as “flowers”.
The corporation, which spent £47,800 on champagne in the year to last April, had been expected to publish the details within days but this was brought forward to today after The Times published details of their plans.
The BBC had previously revealed its top ten executives claimed £145,000 on expenses last year, but those claims had never been itemised before.
