BBC star news presenter Victoria Derbyshire faced a workplace conduct probe over allegations of bullying, it has been reported.

The 57-year-old was investigated after multiple colleagues reportedly raised concerns over how she conducted herself off-air while presenting Newsnight.

Her tone and language, said to have been witnessed by programme editors, presenters and producers made them feel ‘uncomfortable’, Deadline reported.

Concerns had reportedly been raised on behalf of junior staff by high-ranking BBC figures including her fellow Newsnight presenter Kirsty Wark and former chief content officer Charlotte Moore.

But none were upheld and Ms Derbyshire was able to continue in her role – following pledges from the BBC to stamp out ‘punching down’ in its culture last year. 

A source told Deadline: ‘She’s very exacting. Nobody likes to be criticised, but if you’ve done s*** work, Victoria will call you out on it.’ 

Ms Derbyshire – the lead presenter of the flagship news programme – is said to have rejected the accusations of bullying, but accepted she could be ‘direct and exacting’ in a high-pressure newsroom environment.

It was reported that the investigation failed to uphold any of the allegations made against the presenter. 

BBC bosses, however, still sought to reprimand her so the probe was seen to have been handled robustly, according to The Times.

Ms Derbyshire’s ‘exacting’ approach to journalism is said to have sparked concerns among junior colleagues, who reported her to bosses following the conclusion of the BBC’s Respect at Work review in April last year.

Victoria Derbyshire faced a workplace conduct probe after colleagues on Newsnight expressed concerns about her behaviour, according to reports

Ms Derbyshire’s former Newsnight co-presenter Kirsty Wark (pictured with the star) is reported to have raised concerns on behalf of junior staff

That report was drawn up in the wake of several scandals involving high profile BBC figures including BBC News anchor Huw Edwards and sport presenter Jermaine Jenas, and claims of bullying on Strictly Come Dancing. 

The investigation saw an independent consultant from PwC brought in to assist the BBC’s human resources team, and the complainants interviewed.

They are then said to have received an email in March telling them their concerns had been ‘taken seriously by the BBC’ – but are said to be dissatisfied at the outcome. 

It is alleged that they were not told directly their complaints had not been upheld. 

This is despite the BBC’s Respect at Work report urging BBC bosses to demonstrate ‘increased transparency’ around complaints in order to ‘rebuild trust and confidence’.

BBC chair Dr Samir Shah said last year following the publication of the paper: ‘If you are a person who is prepared to abuse power or punch down or behave badly, there is no place for you at the BBC.’

Naga Munchetty was reportedly investigated over bullying claims last year, while Kaye Adams was taken off air at BBC Radio Scotland following an internal complaint about her conduct. 

Ms Derbyshire is one of the BBC’s best known news presenters, having fronted her own eponymous show between 2015 and 2020 until it was axed in a cost-cutting exercise.

Her decades-long career at the BBC began in local radio before she joined Radio 5 Live in 1998, later moving into television.

In 2015, she was diagnosed with breast cancer, and used video diaries to log her own treatment process in a bid to demystify the disease; she would later win a Bafta for exposing sexual abuse within football.

And earlier this year, she bagged the first and only UK television interview with French rape survivor Gisèle Pelicot.

She earns up to £280,000 a year at the BBC, where she also presented Ukrainecast, the regular podcast on the latest in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, until it was wound down at the end of last year.

Approached for comment, the BBC said: ‘While we do not comment on individual cases, we take all complaints about conduct at work extremely seriously and will not tolerate behaviour that is not in line with our values.’

The Daily Mail has contacted representatives for Ms Derbyshire, Kirsty Wark and Charlotte Moore for comment.