GREG DYKE brought the BBC to a halt once again yesterday when the deposed Director-General returned to Television Centre in West London for a book-signing.
Hundreds of “believers” queued for hours at the BBC bookshop to pay their respects to the man whom they still believe was wrongly forced out in a coup by the BBC Governors. When Mr Dyke resigned in January after Lord Hutton’s report, thousands of tearful employees took to the streets in protest. The fervour aroused by his return yestersday led BBC officials to try to ban the media from witnessing his visit.
Mark Thompson, the new regime leader, attempted to mingle anonymously with the line of 200 employees, which snaked through the staff canteen. He eventually came face to face with his predecessor and proferred a copy of Mr Dyke’s memoirs. “I should have signed it ‘watch your back’ but I chose ‘good luck’ instead,” Mr Dyke said.
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The normally-bullish Mr Dyke even apologised to the new Director-General for publicly criticising him over threatening BBC job cuts. “He was always my mate but he’ll get a lot worse criticism than that,” Mr Dyke said.
The return was an emotional experience, said Mr Dyke, who was thanked by many BBC staffers for liberating them from the Birt era and allowing their voices to be heard. Was he surprised that the BBC allowed him back? “Not really, after all I am making cash for BBC Worldwide by flogging books,” he replied. “I didn’t see any of the ‘posh ladies’ in the queue though,” he said, referring to the BBC Governors he has accused of plotting his downfall.
Mr Dyke is now “Huttoned-out” after the publication of Inside Story and ready to consider offers of future employment, including a possible return as head of ITV.