Reuters

Britain on Friday appointed BBC board member Elan Closs Stephens as the public broadcaster`s acting chair, replacing Richard Sharp who resigned in a cronyism row involving his links to former prime minister Boris Johnson.

Closs Stephens, a member of the BBC`s governing body since 2010, will remain acting chair from June 27 for a year, or until a new permanent chair has been appointed, the British government said.

"When she takes over, Dame Elan will provide stability in the leadership of the BBC while a process to appoint a new permanent Chair is run," Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer said, using Closs Stephens` honorific title.

Sharp resigned in April after an independent report found he had breached rules by not disclosing a potential conflict of interest in his role in helping to secure a $1 million loan for then-prime minister Johnson.

Sharp, a former Goldman Sachs banker and donor to Britain`s governing Conservative Party, became chairman in 2021.

Closs Stephens has spent a career in broadcasting and academia, and currently serves as the Welsh member of the BBC board. She is also the Electoral Commissioner for Wales and a member of the UK Electoral Commission Board.