Alan Yentob, the respected BBC broadcaster, documentary filmmaker, and arts champion, has passed away aged 78. Over a career spanning five decades, he became one of British television’s most influential figures, leaving an enormous mark on the British cultural landscape.
Born with an insatiable curiosity and a gift for storytelling, Yentob brought the world closer to some of its most extraordinary creative minds. His acclaimed documentaries—including Omnibus, Arena, and Imagine—profiled luminaries such as David Bowie, Maya Angelou, Grayson Perry, and Salman Rushdie. His 1975 film Cracked Actor, an intimate portrait of Bowie during a turbulent yet artistically fertile period, remains a landmark in music documentary filmmaking.
Yentob’s career at the BBC was as varied as it was distinguished. He served as Controller of BBC Two and later BBC One, overseeing a golden era of programming that included Fabulous, The Late Show and Have I Got News for You. As the corporation’s Creative Director, he nurtured bold ideas, from the lavish adaptation of Pride and Prejudice to the launch of children’s channels CBBC and CBeebies.
Colleagues and friends remembered him as a man of boundless enthusiasm and generosity. BBC Director-General Tim Davie described him as “a creative force and cultural visionary,” adding, “To work with Alan was to be inspired. He had a rare gift for spotting talent and lifting others.”
Beyond his professional achievements, Yentob was known for his warmth, wit, and deep connections across the arts. His friendships with figures like Bowie, Jay-Z, Beyoncé, and Mel Brooks spoke to his ability to bridge worlds. A memorable appearance in the BBC satire W1A—where he was seen arm-wrestling Salman Rushdie to the strains of opera—captured his playful spirit.
His wife, TV producer Philippa Walker, paid tribute to him as “curious, funny, annoying, late, and creative in every cell of his body,” adding, “He was the kindest of men.”
Yentob’s legacy was not without controversy, particularly surrounding his involvement with the charity Kids Company, later cleared. Yet his passion for the arts never swayed. In 2024, he was appointed a CBE for services to media and culture—a fitting recognition of a life devoted to creativity.
He is survived by Philippa, their two children, and countless colleagues, artists, and viewers whose lives he enriched. Alan Yentob
Alan Yentob spent his life bringing art to life for millions. For over fifty years, his distinctive voice and unlimited curiosity opened doors to creative worlds, making him one of British television’s most recognisable champions of culture. Starting as a young producer at the BBC in the late 1960s, he developed an extraordinary knack for finding the human story behind artistic genius.
Yentob treated the arts not as something distant to be admired, but as vital, messy and endlessly fascinating. His Imagine series became essential viewing not because it explained art, but because it showed artists thinking aloud – sometimes brilliant, sometimes contradictory, always real.
Behind the scenes, his influence shaped British culture itself. As controller of BBC Two and BBC One, he greenlit many popular programmes, trusting audiences to embrace both populist entertainment and challenging ideas. He fought for arts coverage when others saw it as niche, believing culture wasn’t just for galleries but for living rooms. Even after stepping down as Creative Director, he kept making films – right up to his final Imagine episode celebrating French & Saunders – proving his passion never dimmed.
Yentob understood that art thrives on connection. His gift wasn’t analysis, but conversation – that alchemy when two curious minds meet. The artists he profiled became friends; the audiences at home felt like participants. In an age of increasing cultural division, he remained that rare thing: a bridge between worlds, who made the esoteric engaging and the everyday extraordinary. His death leaves British arts broadcasting without one of its most distinctive voices, but the countless artists he showcased and viewers he inspired remain his true legacy.
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