The new charity boss, who had only been in his role for 11 days, crashed into a female cyclist in her 50s – a shocking video caught the moment the woman flew into the air and fell to the ground
This is the shocking moment a BBC Children in Need chief seriously injured a cyclist after ploughing into them with his car.
Terry Duddy, who had started the new role on October 21, resigned after he was convicted of causing serious injury by careless driving. The charity boss was turning at a junction but shocking CCTV footage showed him fail to stop for a cyclist going down the road. His black BMW SUV hit the woman and knocked her off her bike, and the cyclist, aged in her 50s, was said to have been left seriously injured in the incident.
The terrifying CCTV footage saw the cyclist, who had right of way, get thrown in the air and falling to the ground after she was hit by Mr Duddy’s car. Other bike riders rushed over to help her, in the upmarket village of Chalfont St Giles, Buckinghamshire, in June.
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The ex-Children in Need chief was hit with an eight-month custodial sentence that is suspended for 18 months, 200 hours of unpaid work to be completed, costs totalling £272 and an 18-month driving disqualification.
In an email sent to staff, the outgoing Children in Need chief executive, Simon Antrobus, told staff Mr Duddy told the charity of his conviction, on Tuesday, then offered his resignation which was accepted.
A BBC Children In Need spokesperson told the Mirror: “On Tuesday 18 November, our new Chair Terry Duddy informed us that he had been convicted last week of causing serious injury through careless driving. In light of this he offered his resignation, which the board accepted, agreeing he could not continue in this role.
“James Fairclough, a Trustee since 2021, has been formally appointed Chair with immediate effect. We remain focused on helping children and young people thrive.”
Duddy, a former boss at Argos and Homebase’s parent company, will now be succeeded by BBC Children in Need trustee James Fairclough, who has been formally appointed as chair.
This comes as a fresh blow to the BBC following a string of controversies that has hit the corporation in recent months. Donald Trump said he will sue the BBC for billions over a Panorama edit of a 2021 speech.
A video of a speech, give to a crowd on January 6, 2021, before the stormed the capitol, was spliced and stitched together. The broadcaster issued an apology and saw Director-General Tim Davie and news chief Deborah Turness quit over accusations of bias.
In a note to staff seen by the PA news agency, BBC chairman Samir Shah said: “There is a lot being written, said and speculated upon about the possibility of legal action, including potential costs or settlements. In all this we are, of course, acutely aware of the privilege of our funding and the need to protect our licence fee payers, the British public.
“I want to be very clear with you – our position has not changed. There is no basis for a defamation case and we are determined to fight this.”
