BBC must 'pay £400,000 to Oscar-winning Jewish producer after she became victim of anti-Semitism and was bullied out of the broadcaster'

Published: 17:52 EDT, 25 October 2026 | Updated: 19:38 EDT, 25 October 2026 A Jewish documentary maker has reportedly been awarded a £400,000 payout from the BBC following allegations she was bullied out of the broadcaster and the victim of anti-Semitism.Oscar-winning filmmaker Lucie Kon said she was mistreated by BBC colleagues who said Zionists like her were 'evil' in the wake of the October 7th Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel.Ms Kon – who has family living in Israel – alleges she was instructed by coworkers to consider 'what drove Hamas to do what they did,' and told she should 'call Israel terrorists, too' if she wished to label Hamas as such.She also said her colleagues told her a documentary about the Nova music festival massacre should 'contextualise' the terrorist attack, and it was 'disgusting' that former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak visited a Jewish school.After making a formal complaint about her treatment, Ms Kon claimed the BBC asked her to stay at home for months before isolating her and eventually ousting her from the workplace.It was then she began unfair dismissal proceedings against the broadcaster, who without any admission of liability, paid her compensation which was funded in part by the licence fee. Oscar-winning filmmaker Lucie Kon has been awarded a £400,000 payout from the BBC following allegations she was bullied out of the broadcaster and the victim of anti-Semitism Ms Kon claimed she was mistreated by BBC colleagues who said Zionists like her were 'evil'. Mc Kon (left) is pictured in February at the BAFTA Film AwardsThe broadcaster has not issued a formal apology to Ms Kon - who worked on shows such as Panorama and BBC Breakfast - and refused to acknowledge she was the victim of anti-Semitism while in their employment.Ms Kon, who told the Telegraph the BBC attempted to 'stop' her doing her job because of her religion, is the first person the broadcaster is known to have paid a settlement to as a consequence of anti-Semitism.'It was like having Jew stamped on my forehead,' Ms Kon described feeling in the wake of the October 7th terrorist attacks.'I think I made too much noise about being a Jew inside the BBC,' she said. 'I stood up for my community. I was open about being a Zionist. The BBC says, bring your authentic self to work. And I did. And I lost my job as a result.'Her payout comes just one year following the resignation of the BBC's director-general, Tim Davie, whose premiership saw the broadcaster being accused of institutional bias, including claims of anti-Semitism.Under his tenure, more than 200 Jewish staff accused the corporation's Board of 'ignoring' their pleas for an investigation into alleged anti-Semitism at the broadcaster.In July 2024, more than 200 Jewish staff, contractors, suppliers and contributors wrote to BBC chairman Samir Shah asking for an urgent formal investigation by the BBC Board into 'systemic problems of anti-Semitism and bias at the BBC, alongside senior management's demonstrable failure to properly address the issue'. The premiership of former BBC director general Tim Davie (pictured) saw the broadcaster being accused of institutional bias, including claims of anti-Semitism The BBC has not issued a formal apology to Ms Kon and has refused to acknowledge she was the victim of anti-Semitism while in their employment (Pictured: BBC Broadcasting House in London)Attached to the letter was a report titled 'Being Jewish and working at the BBC' which included testimony from staff who argued the corporation was no longer 'a safe space to be Jewish'. The same staff members wrote again to the BBC Board last December, accusing it of ignoring their pleas and offering 'words not action' after a gap of more than a year. Matt Brittin - Mr Davie's successor – has since pledged to eradicate anti-Semitism at the company, however, Ms Kon said she informed him that she and fellow Jewish BBC employees continue to be bullied and abused.She alleged other Jewish employees have left the broadcaster because of how they were treated, adding she has friends who are 'still struggling' and 'still suffering' because they are a Zionist or Jew.A BBC spokesman said: 'While we do not comment on individual staffing matters, anti-Semitism in any form is not tolerated at the BBC.'If allegations or concerns are raised, they are taken seriously and investigated in accordance with our policies. We have robust procedures in place to deal with any behaviour that is contrary to our values.'