The departure of Jeremy Paxman from Newsnight is the latest in the wake of the biggest mistake in the programme’s history – its refusal in December 2011 to air testimony from alleged victims that the late DJ Jimmy Savile had sexually abused them.

In November 2012 there was a second nightmare for Newsnight when it said a senior Tory, later identified as Lord McAlpine, was involved in child abuse. The mistake cost the BBC £185,000 in damages plus legal costs.

Paxman detailed the BBC culture which bred these twin disasters in his testimony to the Pollard Review into the Savile scandal.