BBC staff confronted director-general Matt Brittin at a heated town hall meeting on Monday, criticising a proposed 1% pay rise, anxiety over 2,000 planned job losses, and a new advertising campaign fronted by comedian Romesh Ranganathan. Employees said the below-inflation pay offer was "insulting" and made them feel like "second-rate citizens", with some suggesting it could prompt industrial action once discussed further with unions. The revolt suggests the honeymoon period may already be ending for Brittin, the former Google executive who took charge of the corporation.

The BBC is aiming to cut costs by £500m over the next three years, on top of an existing £1.5bn savings target, as it grapples with the fact that 94% of Britons use its services monthly while fewer than 80% pay the £180 licence fee. Chief financial officer Bérangère Michel acknowledged the pay offer was low but said it could not be afforded, adding that senior executives would also forgo a rise this year. Staff drew unfavourable comparisons with presenter pay, which rose to a six-year high of £143m last year, with one journalist proposing a 10% pay cut for all staff earning over £100,000 to fund a fairer settlement for the majority.