BBC Pays More Than £400,000 to Oscar-Winning Producer Who Alleged Antisemitism at Work

The BBC has paid more than £400,000 to an Oscar- and Emmy-winning producer who said she was victimized and forced out of the corporation after the October 7 attacks. Lucie Kon left the broadcaster in April, only 19 days after winning an Oscar for her work, following a dispute over antisemitism in the workplace.

Kon built her career on programs including Panorama, Today, BBC Breakfast and Storyville. Films she commissioned and produced have won an Emmy, an Oscar and a BAFTA, among other industry honors. She described her experience in an interview with The Telegraph published on Sunday.

She said the shift began soon after the attacks in Israel. After messaging a colleague on WhatsApp that Hamas were evil, she was told that "Zionists" were evil too. "It was a particularly tasteless thing to say at that particular moment in history," Kon said. Another colleague later told her that if she wanted to call Hamas terrorists, she would have to call Israel a terrorist state as well.

Kon helped set up an internal WhatsApp group for Jewish staff and wrote to the then Director General, Tim Davie, to raise concerns. She later proposed a film about the October 7 attacks. Her manager indicated the Nova film would probably go ahead, but said the BBC would need to contextualize why Hamas did what they did. When Kon objected that the project was meant as a straightforward account of the day, her manager's manager told her she could no longer oversee it, saying it was "because you're Jewish" and that she was partial.

Kon said the film was to be handed to the same colleague who had made the earlier remarks. An arrangement was later reached under which she could oversee it, but only with close supervision to ensure impartiality. She then raised a formal grievance. The colleague wanted no further contact with her, the two could no longer attend meetings together, and Kon was told not to come into work.

The grievance was not upheld after six months. Kon said she was told many people did not recall the things she described, and that she had not been barred from the film for being Jewish but because of concern for her mental health. Her appeal also failed. She was told she could no longer travel, commission or speak on behalf of the BBC, while her colleague was moved elsewhere.

Her health deteriorated by December. After she submitted a doctor's note for stress-related sick leave, she was told her job was at risk of redundancy. She applied for a newly created role, was rejected, and was made redundant in April. She then brought an unfair dismissal claim, and the BBC agreed to a payment, partly funded by the license fee, without admitting liability. It did not apologize or accept that she was a victim of antisemitism. The Telegraph reported she is the first person known to receive a BBC settlement after alleging antisemitic behavior by colleagues.

Kon said Jewish colleagues are still being bullied and abused, and that some feel embarrassed to say they are Zionist or Jewish. "I stood up for who I was," she said. "The BBC says, 'Bring your authentic self to work.' And I did, and I lost my job as a result."

A BBC spokesperson said the corporation was grateful that Kon acknowledges it is not institutionally antisemitic, and that its processes did not uphold her allegations. The spokesperson added that the outcome acknowledged shortcomings and the personal impact on her, and described her as a valued member of staff with many years of dedicated service.