# Chair of the BBC

The Chair of the BBC, referred to as Chairman when the incumbent is male and Chairwoman when female, is the head of the BBC Board, responsible for maintaining the independence of the BBC and overseeing the functioning of the BBC to fulfil its mission. The chair leads the process for appointing the Director-General and can dismiss the Director-General. The chair of the BBC also acts as the corporation's most senior representative to Parliament and the government, including the devolved administrations.
The chair is formally appointed by the King-in-Council, on the advice of the Secretary of State for a four-year term. The current chairman, Dr Samir Shah, succeeded chairwoman Dame Elan Closs Stephens on 4 March 2024.

## List of chairmen
### Status

| Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Term of office | Term of office | Honour(s) | Prime Minister | Monarch |
| Chair of the Board of Governors of the British Broadcasting Company | Chair of the Board of Governors of the British Broadcasting Company | Chair of the Board of Governors of the British Broadcasting Company | Chair of the Board of Governors of the British Broadcasting Company | Chair of the Board of Governors of the British Broadcasting Company | Chair of the Board of Governors of the British Broadcasting Company | George V r. 1910–1936 |
| | The Lord Gainford (1860–1943) | 18 December 1922 | 31 December 1926 | | David Lloyd George | George V r. 1910–1936 |
| | The Lord Gainford (1860–1943) | 18 December 1922 | 31 December 1926 | | Bonar Law | George V r. 1910–1936 |
| | The Lord Gainford (1860–1943) | 18 December 1922 | 31 December 1926 | | Stanley Baldwin | George V r. 1910–1936 |
| | The Lord Gainford (1860–1943) | 18 December 1922 | 31 December 1926 | | Ramsay MacDonald | George V r. 1910–1936 |
| | The Lord Gainford (1860–1943) | 18 December 1922 | 31 December 1926 | | Stanley Baldwin | George V r. 1910–1936 |
| George V r. 1910–1936 ||||||
| | The Earl of Clarendon (1877–1955) | 1 January 1927 | 1930 | | Stanley Baldwin | George V r. 1910–1936 |
| | The Earl of Clarendon (1877–1955) | 1 January 1927 | 1930 | | Ramsay MacDonald | George V r. 1910–1936 |
| | John Henry Whitley (1866–1935) | 1930 | 3 February 1935 (Died in Office) | | Ramsay MacDonald | George V r. 1910–1936 |
| | The Viscount Bridgeman (1864–1935) | 1935 | 14 August 1935 (Died in Office) | | Ramsay MacDonald | George V r. 1910–1936 |
| | The Viscount Bridgeman (1864–1935) | 1935 | 14 August 1935 (Died in Office) | | Stanley Baldwin | George V r. 1910–1936 |
| | Ronald Collet Norman (1873–1963) | 1935 | 1939 | | Stanley Baldwin | George V r. 1910–1936 |
| | Ronald Collet Norman (1873–1963) | 1935 | 1939 | | Neville Chamberlain | Edward VIII r. 1936 |
| | Ronald Collet Norman (1873–1963) | 1935 | 1939 | | Neville Chamberlain | George VI r. 1936–1952 |
| | Allan Powell (1876–1948) | 1939 | 1946 | | Neville Chamberlain | George VI r. 1936–1952 |
| | Allan Powell (1876–1948) | 1939 | 1946 | | Winston Churchill | George VI r. 1936–1952 |
| | Allan Powell (1876–1948) | 1939 | 1946 | | Clement Attlee | George VI r. 1936–1952 |
| | The Lord Inman (1892–1979) | 1947 | 1947 | | Clement Attlee | George VI r. 1936–1952 |
| | The Lord Simon of Wythenshawe (1879–1960) | 1947 | 1952 | | Clement Attlee | George VI r. 1936–1952 |
| | The Lord Simon of Wythenshawe (1879–1960) | 1947 | 1952 | | Winston Churchill | Elizabeth II r. 1952–2022 |
| | Alexander Cadogan (1884–1968) | 1952 | 1957 | | Winston Churchill | Elizabeth II r. 1952–2022 |
| | Alexander Cadogan (1884–1968) | 1952 | 1957 | | Anthony Eden | Elizabeth II r. 1952–2022 |
| | Alexander Cadogan (1884–1968) | 1952 | 1957 | | Harold Macmillan | Elizabeth II r. 1952–2022 |
| | Arthur fforde (1900–1985) | 1957 | 1964 | | Harold Macmillan | Elizabeth II r. 1952–2022 |
| | Arthur fforde (1900–1985) | 1957 | 1964 | | Alec Douglas-Home | Elizabeth II r. 1952–2022 |
| | The Lord Normanbrook (1902–1967) | 1964 | 15 June 1967 (Died in Office) | | Harold Wilson | Elizabeth II r. 1952–2022 |
| | The Lord Hill of Luton (1904–1989) | 1967 | 1972 | | Harold Wilson | Elizabeth II r. 1952–2022 |
| | The Lord Hill of Luton (1904–1989) | 1967 | 1972 | | Edward Heath | Elizabeth II r. 1952–2022 |
| | Michael Swann (1920–1990) | 1973 | 1980 | Baron Swann for Life in 1981 | Edward Heath | Elizabeth II r. 1952–2022 |
| | Michael Swann (1920–1990) | 1973 | 1980 | Baron Swann for Life in 1981 | Harold Wilson | Elizabeth II r. 1952–2022 |
| | Michael Swann (1920–1990) | 1973 | 1980 | Baron Swann for Life in 1981 | James Callaghan | Elizabeth II r. 1952–2022 |
| | Michael Swann (1920–1990) | 1973 | 1980 | Baron Swann for Life in 1981 | Margaret Thatcher | Elizabeth II r. 1952–2022 |
| | George Howard (1920–1984) | 1980 | 1983 | Baron Howard of Henderskelfe for Life in 1981 | Margaret Thatcher | Elizabeth II r. 1952–2022 |
| | Stuart Young (1934–1986) | 1983 | 29 August 1986 (Died in Office) | | Margaret Thatcher | Elizabeth II r. 1952–2022 |
| | Marmaduke Hussey (1923–2006) | 1986 | 1996 | Baron Hussey of North Bradley for Life in 1996 | Margaret Thatcher | Elizabeth II r. 1952–2022 |
| | Marmaduke Hussey (1923–2006) | 1986 | 1996 | Baron Hussey of North Bradley for Life in 1996 | John Major | Elizabeth II r. 1952–2022 |
| | Christopher Bland (1938–2017) | 1 April 1996 | 30 September 2001 | | John Major | Elizabeth II r. 1952–2022 |
| | Christopher Bland (1938–2017) | 1 April 1996 | 30 September 2001 | | Tony Blair | Elizabeth II r. 1952–2022 |
| | Gavyn Davies (1950–) | 1 October 2001 | 28 January 2004 | | Tony Blair | Elizabeth II r. 1952–2022 |
| | The Lord Ryder of Wensum (1949–) | 28 January 2004 | 17 May 2004 | | Tony Blair | Elizabeth II r. 1952–2022 |
| | Michael Grade (1943–) | 17 May 2004 | 28 November 2006 | Baron Grade of Yarmouth for Life in 2011 | Tony Blair | Elizabeth II r. 1952–2022 |
| | Anthony Salz (1950–) | 28 November 2006 | 31 December 2006 | Knighted in 2013 | Tony Blair | Elizabeth II r. 1952–2022 |
| Elizabeth II r. 1952–2022 ||||||
| | Chitra Bharucha (1945–) | 1 January 2007 | 30 April 2007 | | Tony Blair | Elizabeth II r. 1952–2022 |
| | Sir Michael Lyons (1949–) | 1 May 2007 | 30 April 2011 | | Tony Blair | Elizabeth II r. 1952–2022 |
| | Sir Michael Lyons (1949–) | 1 May 2007 | 30 April 2011 | | Gordon Brown | Elizabeth II r. 1952–2022 |
| | Sir Michael Lyons (1949–) | 1 May 2007 | 30 April 2011 | | David Cameron | Elizabeth II r. 1952–2022 |
| | The Lord Patten of Barnes (1944–) | 1 May 2011 | 6 May 2014 | | David Cameron | Elizabeth II r. 1952–2022 |
| | Diane Coyle (1961–) | 6 May 2014 | 8 October 2014 | | David Cameron | Elizabeth II r. 1952–2022 |
| | Rona Fairhead (1961–) | 9 October 2014 | 2 April 2017 | Baroness Fairhead for Life in 2017 | David Cameron | Elizabeth II r. 1952–2022 |
| | Rona Fairhead (1961–) | 9 October 2014 | 2 April 2017 | Baroness Fairhead for Life in 2017 | Theresa May | Elizabeth II r. 1952–2022 |
| Elizabeth II r. 1952–2022 ||||||
| | Sir David Clementi (1949–) | 16 February 2017 | 15 February 2021 | Knighted in 2004 | Theresa May | Elizabeth II r. 1952–2022 |
| | Sir David Clementi (1949–) | 16 February 2017 | 15 February 2021 | Knighted in 2004 | Boris Johnson | Elizabeth II r. 1952–2022 |
| | Richard Sharp (1956–) | 16 February 2021 | 27 June 2023 | | Boris Johnson | Elizabeth II r. 1952–2022 |
| | Richard Sharp (1956–) | 16 February 2021 | 27 June 2023 | | Liz Truss | Elizabeth II r. 1952–2022 |
| | Richard Sharp (1956–) | 16 February 2021 | 27 June 2023 | | Liz Truss | Charles III r. 2022–present |
| | Richard Sharp (1956–) | 16 February 2021 | 27 June 2023 | | Rishi Sunak | Charles III r. 2022–present |
| | Dame Elan Closs Stephens (1949–) | 27 June 2023 | 4 March 2024 | Knighted as a Dame in 2019 | Rishi Sunak | Charles III r. 2022–present |
| | Dr Samir Shah (1952–) | 4 March 2024 | Incumbent | | Rishi Sunak | Charles III r. 2022–present |
| | Dr Samir Shah (1952–) | 4 March 2024 | Incumbent | | Sir Keir Starmer | Charles III r. 2022–present |