BBC to undergo major review into presenters after five female anchors left in limbo

In April, the BBC News channel relaunched with a mix of the domestic and international news networks and a boost of online content.

According to sources, the review - which has been ongoing for several weeks - could be a way for the BBC to reintegrate the female presenters who have disappeared from the screen for five months.

Since March, Martine Croxall, Karin Giannone, Geeta Guru-Murthy, Kasia Madera, and Annita McVeigh have not featured on the channel.

“The review is just a cover for finding a way out of the dispute and settling with the presenters,” a source told Deadline.

“They’ll dress it up as requiring more presenter staffing and be able to bring back the people who’ve been off.”

It comes as the BBC drafts in freelancers and presenters with less experience to act as anchors.

It follows the resignation of Yalda Hakim, who was one of BBC News’ five chief presenters and left last month to join Sky News.

Concerns have been raised over the future of another chief presenter, Christian Fraser who hosts The Context.

Four insiders claim Fraser had concerns about how the merged BBC News channel is working.

Croxall, Giannone, Guru-Murthy, Madera, and McVeigh were not given UK-based chief presenter roles but instead were offered the opportunity to apply for eight correspondent/presenter posts.

It comes as a probe was launched amid accusations the BBC had told successful applicants that they would get a chief presenter job before the recruitment process had even begun.

A source who does not work for the channel described the situation as a “mess” which has damaged morale.

Another source added that employees want to see a resolution, arguing that the women should consider accepting one of the correspondent/presenter jobs because the dispute is “dragging us through the mud.”