By . Paul Revoir . PUBLISHED: . 20:46 EST, 13 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 20:50 EST, 13 February 2013 . Angry: Jeremy Paxman's scathing criticism of the BBC's handling of the Jimmy Savile scandal is to be removed from transcripts in a BBC inquiry . Scathing criticism by Jeremy Paxman about how the BBC dealt with the Savile crisis is to be removed from transcripts of evidence given to the corporation’s inquiry into the affair. The Newsnight host’s full, potentially explosive, opinions on his bosses’ handling of the scandal have been ‘redacted’ for legal reasons amid fears they were potentially defamatory. In addition, evidence provided by the global news director Peter Horrocks - responsible for the World Service - has also been removed for similar reasons. Both men were said to have been very critical of how senior BBC News bosses handled the investigation into Jimmy Savile after his death in October 2011. Their evidence is contained within thousands of witness statements, e-mails and text messages gathered by former head of Sky News Nick Pollard last year. He published an interim review last December into why Newsnight dropped its probe into Savile’s abuse of young girls in December 2011, two months after his death and shortly before the corporation broadcast Christmas specials about the DJ. The devastating allegations for some of his victims ended up being screened by ITV last October and triggered an avalanche of claims from women that they, too, had been a victim of Savile. Next week Mr Pollard is due to publish more of the evidence in his final report. Staff at the BBC have been given access to lawyers at the corporation’s expense before final publication to check the material. This is because many of the witnesses did not realise that their evidence would end up being published. Despite the decision to redact, some of Mr Paxman’s embarrassing criticisms of the handling of the Savile case are already in the public domain. After Newsnight’s then editor Peter Rippon wrote a blog last October explaining the BBC’s handling of the story, Paxman emailed him to say that the blog ‘doesn’t answer all of the accusations laid against us’. He continued: ’I have to say, I think we make a problem for ourselves by running away from this story.' Removed: Evidence provided by the global news . director Peter Horrocks (left) - responsible for the World Service - has also . been removed after thousands of emails, witness statements and text messages were gathered by former head of Sky news Nick Pollard, right, last year . He added ‘It raises questions about the way in which the claims of child abuse victims are treated’ and ‘It raises serious questions about journalistic ethics – different burdens of proof for the living and the dead – which are slap-bang in our terrain.‘ . The redaction has emerged as it was also disclosed that the Corporation’s most high-profile woman executive has accepted a new post just days before the release of the updated review into the BBC’s handling of the Saville scandal. Helen Boaden, who is director of news, has accepted a new post as the corporation’s radio chief. Confirmation of her new role as director of audio and music follows months of speculation about her future and her ability to keep her job. Scathing: Both Paxman and Horricks are said to have been highly critical of the BBC's handling of an investigation into allegations against Sir Jimmy Savile (pictured) It was initially thought that if she left the BBC she would demand a huge compensation payment and she had engaged lawyers to help her answer Mr Pollard’s questions. Miss Boaden has already been heavily criticised for failing to tackle the ‘meltdown’ that ensued in parts of the news department over the abandoned news story into Savile’s abuse. The first Pollard report was published in December. But the second - out next week - is expected to include not just testimonies but also emails and text messages. BBC insiders admit that some of the material is likely to be deeply embarrassing to a number of the corporation’s senior executives. Miss Boaden is understood to have been told last week that incoming director general Lord Hall would like her to make the switch to radio. At the height of the Savile crisis the BBC news chief temporarily ‘stepped aside’ from her £340,000 a year role, and it was later revealed she had at one point offered to resign. In his interim report in December, Mr Pollard said Miss Boaden ‘should have taken greater responsibility’. He said he was ‘surprised’ she did not take ‘a more proactive role’ particularly given that a ‘significant part of the division she headed’ was in ‘virtual meltdown’. An insider said last night of Miss Boaden’s move: ‘She has accepted. It is a done deal.’
Lawyers fear that Jeremy Paxman's comments could be defamatory .
His scathing attack will not be included in an inquiry's evidence transcripts .
Evidence from BBC global news director Peter Horrocks also to be removed .
By . Paul Revoir . PUBLISHED: . 20:46 EST, 13 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 20:50 EST, 13 February 2013 . Angry: Jeremy Paxman's scathing criticism of the BBC's handling of the Jimmy Savile scandal is to be removed from transcripts in a BBC inquiry . Scathing criticism by Jeremy Paxman about how the BBC dealt with the Savile crisis is to be removed from transcripts of evidence given to the corporation’s inquiry into the affair. The Newsnight host’s full, potentially explosive, opinions on his bosses’ handling of the scandal have been ‘redacted’ for legal reasons amid fears they were potentially defamatory. In addition, evidence provided by the global news director Peter Horrocks - responsible for the World Service - has also been removed for similar reasons. Both men were said to have been very critical of how senior BBC News bosses handled the investigation into Jimmy Savile after his death in October 2011. Their evidence is contained within thousands of witness statements, e-mails and text messages gathered by former head of Sky News Nick Pollard last year. He published an interim review last December into why Newsnight dropped its probe into Savile’s abuse of young girls in December 2011, two months after his death and shortly before the corporation broadcast Christmas specials about the DJ. The devastating allegations for some of his victims ended up being screened by ITV last October and triggered an avalanche of claims from women that they, too, had been a victim of Savile. Next week Mr Pollard is due to publish more of the evidence in his final report. Staff at the BBC have been given access to lawyers at the corporation’s expense before final publication to check the material. This is because many of the witnesses did not realise that their evidence would end up being published. Despite the decision to redact, some of Mr Paxman’s embarrassing criticisms of the handling of the Savile case are already in the public domain. After Newsnight’s then editor Peter Rippon wrote a blog last October explaining the BBC’s handling of the story, Paxman emailed him to say that the blog ‘doesn’t answer all of the accusations laid against us’. He continued: ’I have to say, I think we make a problem for ourselves by running away from this story.' Removed: Evidence provided by the global news . director Peter Horrocks (left) - responsible for the World Service - has also . been removed after thousands of emails, witness statements and text messages were gathered by former head of Sky news Nick Pollard, right, last year . He added ‘It raises questions about the way in which the claims of child abuse victims are treated’ and ‘It raises serious questions about journalistic ethics – different burdens of proof for the living and the dead – which are slap-bang in our terrain.‘ . The redaction has emerged as it was also disclosed that the Corporation’s most high-profile woman executive has accepted a new post just days before the release of the updated review into the BBC’s handling of the Saville scandal. Helen Boaden, who is director of news, has accepted a new post as the corporation’s radio chief. Confirmation of her new role as director of audio and music follows months of speculation about her future and her ability to keep her job. Scathing: Both Paxman and Horricks are said to have been highly critical of the BBC's handling of an investigation into allegations against Sir Jimmy Savile (pictured) It was initially thought that if she left the BBC she would demand a huge compensation payment and she had engaged lawyers to help her answer Mr Pollard’s questions. Miss Boaden has already been heavily criticised for failing to tackle the ‘meltdown’ that ensued in parts of the news department over the abandoned news story into Savile’s abuse. The first Pollard report was published in December. But the second - out next week - is expected to include not just testimonies but also emails and text messages. BBC insiders admit that some of the material is likely to be deeply embarrassing to a number of the corporation’s senior executives. Miss Boaden is understood to have been told last week that incoming director general Lord Hall would like her to make the switch to radio. At the height of the Savile crisis the BBC news chief temporarily ‘stepped aside’ from her £340,000 a year role, and it was later revealed she had at one point offered to resign. In his interim report in December, Mr Pollard said Miss Boaden ‘should have taken greater responsibility’. He said he was ‘surprised’ she did not take ‘a more proactive role’ particularly given that a ‘significant part of the division she headed’ was in ‘virtual meltdown’. An insider said last night of Miss Boaden’s move: ‘She has accepted. It is a done deal.’
February 2013 . Angry: Jeremy Paxman's scathing Savile scandal is to be removed from transcripts global news director Peter Horrocks - responsible