The BBC’s internal "Call It Out" campaign has come under fresh scrutiny after the slogans on thousands of branded mugs began to peel off within weeks of use, The Mail on Sunday reported on Sunday.
The mugs were among a package of workplace accessories ordered after the corporation launched the campaign in April in response to a Workplace Culture Review. The review, commissioned following allegations linked to senior figures including the newsreader Huw Edwards, found instances where colleagues’ working lives had been made "unbearable."
According to the report, the BBC spent roughly £61,000 on promotional and office items intended to reinforce the campaign. The corporation bought 7,000 mugs at a cost of almost £20,000, along with about 10,000 pin badges and 6,000 lanyards. The Mail on Sunday said the slogans on the mugs began to come off after a small number of dishwasher cycles, and that the items were not apparently dishwasher-safe.
The campaign was launched by Director-General Tim Davie in April. It aimed to encourage staff to report inappropriate or abusive conduct and to underscore the broadcaster’s commitment to improving workplace behaviour after the findings of the internal review became public earlier this year.
The Mail on Sunday quoted a BBC insider saying the damaged mugs had undermined confidence in the programme. The report said more than £6,000 was spent on badges and lanyards in addition to the sum spent on the mugs.
The BBC has faced repeated criticism and public scrutiny since the review into its workplace culture. The corporation has said it is implementing changes in response to the report’s findings and has described steps to improve reporting and accountability internally. A BBC spokesperson did not immediately provide comment to The Mail on Sunday on Sunday’s article.
The episode adds to debate about how public institutions address cultural and behavioural problems internally and about the use of visible symbolic measures alongside substantive reform. The BBC’s announcement of the "Call It Out" initiative in April followed the publication of the Workplace Culture Review earlier in 2025, which prompted a number of internal changes and commitments from senior management.
The Mail on Sunday’s coverage prompted renewed attention to the pace and nature of reforms at the broadcaster. The BBC’s longer-term steps in response to the review include updated reporting channels and training programmes for staff, details of which the corporation has outlined in previous statements. The effectiveness of those measures, and the costs attached to short-term awareness initiatives, remain focal points for staff and critics as the corporation seeks to rebuild trust following the earlier scandals.