The BBC has paid out about £2m in legal costs to Sir Cliff Richard following his landmark privacy case win against the broadcaster last year.
However, the singer has still been left out of pocket after spending about £4.5m on the case, not all of which could be claimed back.
Richard won a landmark case against the BBC after it used a helicopter in 2014 to film a South Yorkshire Police raid on his home and reported that he was being investigated over historical child sexual assault claims. He was never arrested or charged and later sued the BBC for invading his privacy.
The five-year legal battle has left the BBC with heavy costs. The Corporation was initially ordered to pay £210,000 in damages for the invasion of Richard’s privacy, including additional damages for the decision to nominate the story for a “scoop of the year” award.
The Corporation had already handed over £850,000 to cover Richard’s legal costs but the final bill rose to about £2m. This is in addition to the £315,000 in legal costs the BBC has paid to the co-defendant, South Yorkshire police.
A spokesperson for the BBC said: “We are pleased Sir Cliff Richard, the BBC and South Yorkshire police have reached an amicable settlement of Sir Cliff Richard’s legal costs. The BBC’s costs are within the scope of our legal insurance.”
The BBC will also have to pay an excess to its insurer.
