Terry Duddy, the recently appointed chair of BBC Children in Need, has resigned from his position after being convicted of causing serious injury through careless driving.
In a message this morning to staff, outgoing chief executive Simon Antrobus said Duddy informed the charity of his conviction yesterday and offered his resignation, which the board accepted.
Thames Valley Police reported that Duddy received an eight-month custodial sentence at High Wycombe Magistrates Court last Thursday that is suspended for 18 months.
He was also ordered to undertake 200 hours of unpaid work, pay costs totalling £272 and serve an 18-month driving disqualification after injuring a female cyclist in her fifties.
Antrobus said in the message to staff: “I recognise this will be a surprise but I want to reassure you all that we remain in a strong and stable position, and we remain focused on helping children and young people thrive,”
Duddy had been in post for less than a month and will be succeeded by Children in Need trustee James Fairclough, who has now been formally appointed as chair.
“James brings extensive leadership and commercial expertise and is passionate about making a lasting impact on young lives,” said Antrobus.
Duddy, who has led major UK retailers including Argos, is also currently chair of welfare charity Catch22 and of London Marathon Events (LME), where he also serves as a trustee of its foundation.
A spokesperson for Catch22 told Civil Society the charity was aware of the conviction and is “assessing what this means for his role as a matter of urgency”.
LME declined to comment.
Editor's note: This article was updated on 20 November 2025 to include more information from Thames Valley Police.
