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 CBE, succeeded chairwoman Dame Elan Closs Stephens on 4 March 2024.

List of chairmen
{{legend|#E6E6AA|Denotes Acting Chair}} {|class="sortable wikitable" ! Portrait ! Name (Birth–Death) ! colspan=2 | Term of office ! Honour(s) ! Prime Minister ! Monarch
 * Status
 * colspan="6" |
 * colspan="6" |

Chair of the Board of Governors of the British Broadcasting Company
(r. 1910 – 1936) (1860–1943)
 * rowspan="13" style="vertical-align: top;" |George V
 * rowspan=5|1910 Jack Pease.jpg
 * rowspan=5 align=center|The Lord Gainford
 * rowspan=5 align=center|The Lord Gainford
 * rowspan=5 align=center|18 December 1922
 * rowspan=5 align=center|31 December 1926
 * rowspan=5|
 * David Lloyd George
 * Bonar Law
 * Stanley Baldwin
 * Ramsay MacDonald
 * Stanley Baldwin
 * colspan="6" |
 * Ramsay MacDonald
 * Stanley Baldwin
 * colspan="6" |
 * colspan="6" |
 * colspan="6" |

Chairman of the Board of Governors of the BBC
(1877–1955) (1866–1935) (Died in Office) (1864–1935) (Died in Office) (1873–1963) (r. undefined – undefined) (1876–1948) (1892–1979) (1879–1960) (1884–1968) (1900–1985) (1902–1967) (Died in Office) (1904–1989) (1920–1990) (1920–1984) (1934–1986) (Died in Office) (1923–2006) (1938–2017) (1950–) (1949–) (1943–) (1950–)
 * rowspan=2|George Herbert Hyde Villiers in October of 1899.jpg
 * rowspan=2 align=center|The Earl of Clarendon
 * rowspan=2 align=center|The Earl of Clarendon
 * rowspan=2 align=center|1 January 1927
 * rowspan=2 align=center|1930
 * rowspan=2|
 * Stanley Baldwin
 * rowspan=3|Ramsay MacDonald
 * 1915 John Henry Whitley.jpg
 * align=center|John Henry Whitley
 * 1915 John Henry Whitley.jpg
 * align=center|John Henry Whitley
 * align=center|1930
 * align=center|3 February 1935
 * rowspan=2|William Bridgeman, 1st Viscount Bridgeman.png
 * rowspan=2 align=center|The Viscount Bridgeman
 * rowspan=2|William Bridgeman, 1st Viscount Bridgeman.png
 * rowspan=2 align=center|The Viscount Bridgeman
 * rowspan=2 align=center|1935
 * rowspan=2 align=center|14 August 1935
 * rowspan=2|
 * rowspan=2|Stanley Baldwin
 * rowspan=3| [[File:Philpot, Glyn Warren; Ronald Collet Norman (1873-1963), Chairman of the BBC; City of London Corporation.jpg|80px]]
 * rowspan=3 align=center|Ronald Collet Norman
 * rowspan=3| [[File:Philpot, Glyn Warren; Ronald Collet Norman (1873-1963), Chairman of the BBC; City of London Corporation.jpg|80px]]
 * rowspan=3 align=center|Ronald Collet Norman
 * rowspan=3 align=center|1935
 * rowspan=3 align=center|1939
 * rowspan=3|
 * rowspan=3|Neville Chamberlain
 * style="vertical-align: top;" |Edward VIII HRH The Prince of Wales No 4 (HS85-10-36416).jpg
 * style="vertical-align: top;" |Edward VIII HRH The Prince of Wales No 4 (HS85-10-36416).jpg
 * rowspan=6 style="vertical-align: top;" | George VI King George VI LOC matpc.14736 (cleaned).jpg (r. 1936 – 1952)
 * rowspan=3|No image.svg
 * rowspan=3 align=center|Allan Powell
 * rowspan=3|No image.svg
 * rowspan=3 align=center|Allan Powell
 * rowspan=3 align=center|1939
 * rowspan=3 align=center|1946
 * rowspan=3|
 * Winston Churchill
 * rowspan=3|Clement Attlee
 * No image.svg
 * align=center|The Lord Inman
 * No image.svg
 * align=center|The Lord Inman
 * align=center|The Lord Inman
 * align=center|1947
 * align=center|1947
 * rowspan=2|Lord Simon.jpg
 * rowspan=2 align=center|The Lord Simon of Wythenshawe
 * rowspan=2|Lord Simon.jpg
 * rowspan=2 align=center|The Lord Simon of Wythenshawe
 * rowspan=2 align=center|1947
 * rowspan=2 align=center|1952
 * rowspan=2|
 * rowspan=2|Winston Churchill
 * rowspan="37" style="vertical-align: top;" | Elizabeth II [[File:Queen Elizabeth II official portrait for 1959 tour (retouched) (cropped) (3-to-4 aspect ratio).jpg |alt=Elizabeth II|96px]] (r. 1952 – 2022)
 * rowspan=3| Sir Alexander Cadogan.jpg
 * rowspan=3 align=center|Alexander Cadogan
 * rowspan=3| Sir Alexander Cadogan.jpg
 * rowspan=3 align=center|Alexander Cadogan
 * rowspan=3 align=center|1952
 * rowspan=3 align=center|1957
 * rowspan=3|
 * Anthony Eden
 * rowspan=2|Harold Macmillan
 * rowspan=2|No image.svg
 * rowspan=2 align=center|Arthur fforde
 * rowspan=2|No image.svg
 * rowspan=2 align=center|Arthur fforde
 * rowspan=2 align=center|Arthur fforde
 * rowspan=2 align=center|1957
 * rowspan=2 align=center|1964
 * rowspan=2|
 * Alec Douglas-Home
 * No image.svg
 * align=center|The Lord Normanbrook
 * No image.svg
 * align=center|The Lord Normanbrook
 * align=center|1964
 * align=center|15 June 1967
 * rowspan=2|Harold Wilson
 * rowspan=2|No image.svg
 * rowspan=2 align=center|The Lord Hill of Luton
 * rowspan=2|No image.svg
 * rowspan=2 align=center|The Lord Hill of Luton
 * rowspan=2 align=center|1967
 * rowspan=2 align=center|1972
 * rowspan=2|
 * rowspan=2|Edward Heath
 * rowspan=4|Michael Swann 1987.jpg
 * rowspan=4 align=center|Michael Swann
 * rowspan=4|Michael Swann 1987.jpg
 * rowspan=4 align=center|Michael Swann
 * rowspan=4 align=center|1973
 * rowspan=4 align=center|1980
 * rowspan=4|Baron Swann for Life in 1981
 * Harold Wilson
 * James Callaghan
 * rowspan=4|Margaret Thatcher
 * No image.svg
 * align=center|George Howard
 * rowspan=4|Margaret Thatcher
 * No image.svg
 * align=center|George Howard
 * align=center|George Howard
 * align=center|1980
 * align=center|1983
 * Baron Howard of Henderskelfe for Life in 1981
 * No image.svg
 * align=center|Stuart Young
 * align=center|Stuart Young
 * align=center|1983
 * align=center|29 August 1986
 * rowspan=2|No image.svg
 * rowspan=2 align=center|Marmaduke Hussey
 * rowspan=2|No image.svg
 * rowspan=2 align=center|Marmaduke Hussey
 * rowspan=2 align=center|1986
 * rowspan=2 align=center|1996
 * rowspan=2|Baron Hussey of North Bradley for Life in 1996
 * rowspan=2|John Major
 * rowspan=2|No image.svg
 * rowspan=2 align=center|Christopher Bland
 * rowspan=2|No image.svg
 * rowspan=2 align=center|Christopher Bland
 * rowspan=2 align=center|1 April 1996
 * rowspan=2 align=center|30 September 2001
 * rowspan=2|
 * rowspan=5|Tony Blair
 * Gavyn Davies.jpg
 * align=center|Gavyn Davies
 * Gavyn Davies.jpg
 * align=center|Gavyn Davies
 * align=center|1 October 2001
 * align=center|28 January 2004
 * Official portrait of Lord Ryder of Wensum crop 2.1.jpg
 * style="background:#e6e6aa;" align=center|The Lord Ryder of Wensum
 * Official portrait of Lord Ryder of Wensum crop 2.1.jpg
 * style="background:#e6e6aa;" align=center|The Lord Ryder of Wensum
 * style="background:#e6e6aa;" align=center|28 January 2004
 * style="background:#e6e6aa;" align=center|17 May 2004
 * style="background:#e6e6aa;" |
 * Official portrait of Lord Grade of Yarmouth crop 2, 2023.jpg
 * align=center|Michael Grade
 * align=center|Michael Grade
 * align=center|17 May 2004
 * align=center|28 November 2006
 * Baron Grade of Yarmouth for Life in 2011
 * style="background:#e6e6aa;" |No image.svg
 * style="background:#e6e6aa;" align=center|Anthony Salz
 * style="background:#e6e6aa;" align=center|Anthony Salz
 * style="background:#e6e6aa;" align=center|28 November 2006
 * style="background:#e6e6aa;" align=center|31 December 2006
 * style="background:#e6e6aa;" |Knighted in 2013
 * colspan="6" |
 * colspan="6" |

Chair of the BBC Trust
(1945–) (1949–) (1944–) (1961–) (1961–)
 * style="background:#e6e6aa;"|No image.svg
 * style="background:#e6e6aa;" align=center|Chitra Bharucha
 * style="background:#e6e6aa;" align=center|Chitra Bharucha
 * style="background:#e6e6aa;" align=center|1 January 2007
 * style="background:#e6e6aa;" align=center|30 April 2007
 * style="background:#e6e6aa;" align=center|
 * rowspan=2|Tony Blair
 * rowspan=3|No image.svg
 * rowspan=3 align=center|Sir Michael Lyons
 * rowspan=3 align=center|Sir Michael Lyons
 * rowspan=3 align=center|1 May 2007
 * rowspan=3 align=center|30 April 2011
 * rowspan=3|
 * Gordon Brown
 * rowspan=4|David Cameron
 * Official portrait of Lord Patten of Barnes crop 2.jpg
 * align=center|The Lord Patten of Barnes
 * Official portrait of Lord Patten of Barnes crop 2.jpg
 * align=center|The Lord Patten of Barnes
 * align=center|The Lord Patten of Barnes
 * align=center|1 May 2011
 * align=center|6 May 2014
 * -style="background:#e6e6aa;"|No image.svg
 * style="background:#e6e6aa;"|Diane Coyle gets OBE-27Feb2009.jpg
 * style="background:#e6e6aa;" align=center|Diane Coyle
 * style="background:#e6e6aa;" align=center|Diane Coyle
 * style="background:#e6e6aa;" align=center|6 May 2014
 * style="background:#e6e6aa;" align=center|8 October 2014
 * style="background:#e6e6aa;" align=center|
 * rowspan=2|Official portrait of Baroness Fairhead crop 2, 2021.jpg
 * rowspan=2 align=center|Rona Fairhead
 * rowspan=2 align=center|Rona Fairhead
 * rowspan=2 align=center|9 October 2014
 * rowspan=2 align=center|2 April 2017
 * rowspan=2|Baroness Fairhead for Life in 2017
 * Theresa May
 * colspan="6" |
 * colspan="6" |
 * colspan="6" |

Chair of the BBC Board
(1949–) (1956–)
 * rowspan=2|No image.svg
 * rowspan=2 align=center|Sir David Clementi
 * rowspan=2 align=center|Sir David Clementi
 * rowspan=2 align=center|16 February 2017
 * rowspan=2 align=center|15 February 2021
 * rowspan=2 | Knighted in 2004
 * rowspan=1 | Theresa May
 * rowspan=2|Boris Johnson
 * rowspan=4|No image.svg
 * rowspan=4 align=center|Richard Sharp
 * rowspan=4|No image.svg
 * rowspan=4 align=center|Richard Sharp
 * rowspan=4 align=center|16 February 2021
 * rowspan=4 align=center|27 June 2023
 * rowspan=4|
 * rowspan=2|Liz Truss
 * rowspan="4" style="vertical-align: top;" | Charles III King Charles III (July 2023).jpg (r. 2022 – present)
 * rowspan="3" |Rishi Sunak
 * style="background:#e6e6aa;" |No image.svg
 * style="background:#e6e6aa;" align=center|Dame Elan Closs Stephens (1949–)
 * style="background:#e6e6aa;" align=center|27 June 2023
 * style="background:#e6e6aa;" align=center|4 March 2024
 * style="background:#e6e6aa;" |Knighted as a Dame in 2019
 * Samir Shah - broadcaster, producer and public servant.jpg
 * align=center|Dr Samir Shah CBE (1952–)
 * 4 March 2024
 * Incumbent
 * }
 * Samir Shah - broadcaster, producer and public servant.jpg
 * align=center|Dr Samir Shah CBE (1952–)
 * 4 March 2024
 * Incumbent
 * }