Culture journalist
BbcA controversial statue sculpted by the sculptor Eric Gill was restored and was revealed outside the London headquarters of the BBC.
The statue of Grade II * was damaged in 2022 and 2023, when it was attacked by a member of the public with a hammer.
Gill was among the most eminent sculptors of the 20th century. But after his death in 1940, his newspapers revealed that he had sexually abused his daughters.
A spokesperson for the BBC said on Wednesday that the company “did not in any case tolerate Gill’s abusive behavior” but that he “traces a line between Gill’s actions and the status of these works”.
There have been calls in recent years for Gill’s 30 years work – which has portrayed Prospero and Ariel from William Shakespeare The Tempest – to be removed from the BBC broadcasting house.
The restored sculpture will be displayed alongside a QR code which is linked to information on the history of the building, Eric Gill and the restoration of the sculpture.
Last month, David Chick from Northampothire pleaded not guilty To cause more than £ 150,000 of damage to Portland placed in May 2023.
The BBC said that the total estimated costs of catering and protection works were £ 529,715. It is understood that the cost was covered by the BBC rather than claiming insurance.
A spokesperson for the BBC said: “When the building was subjected to serious criminal damage, twice, there were no easy options to resolve the caused destruction.
“Having asked for advice and an expert opinion, we repaired the facade in accordance with the status of Grade II * of the building.”
She noted that working with Historic England and Westminster City Council, they also installed a protective screen in front of the sculpture “to avoid future damage”.
The historic CEO of England, Duncan Wilson, said: “We recognize that, since the details of Gill’s abusive behavior was revealed in the late 1980s, he naturally became a controversial character.
“We welcome the BBC approach to repair sculpture and provide an interpretation that explores this complex history.
“This is in accordance with our approach to encourage reflected, long -term and powerful (re) interpretation of the statues and disputed sites that maintains their physical context but adds new layers of meaning and understanding.”
The man shouted “pedophile”
In 2023, David Chick from Northamptothire was arrested After pretending to climb Broadcasting House scaffolding and hit the statue with a hammer.
BBC staff said they heard a man screaming “pedophile” when he hit the statue.
Mr. Chick was already under investigation for criminal damage to the same statue during A previous incident in 2022.
In March 2025, the judge released him under conditional surety and ordered the defendant not to go within 100 m (328 feet) of the statue.
A trial date has been set for May of next year, also in Southwark Crown Court.
The Prospero and Ariel statue has been exposed to the BBC since 1933.
