The BBC has appointed the chief executive of ITN as its head of news, bringing in an outsider to counter accusations of partiality and “group think”.

Deborah Turness will have the newly-created title of CEO, BBC News and Current Affairs on a salary of £400,000, a £60,000 rise on that of her predecessor, Fran Unsworth.

Ms Turness said she would be committed to “the BBC’s powerful brand of impartial, trusted journalism”.

This will be her first BBC role, having spent her career at ITN followed by a tumultuous spell at NBC in the US.

She rose through the ITN ranks – earning the nickname “Mad Dog” for her tenacity as a producer – to become the first female editor and youngest ever editor of ITV News.

She played a key role in relaunching Five News, which broke with tradition by encouraging presenters to perch on their desks rather than sit behind them.

In 2013, she moved to NBC News in the US – the first woman in that country’s history to be president of a network news division. 

However, her time there was difficult. She was accused by insiders of failing to manage the station’s star news anchors, and her tenure was overshadowed by the Brian Williams affair.

Criticism over Brian Williams scandal

Mr Williams, the NBC Nightly News presenter, was shown in 2015 to have lied about coming under fire while covering the Iraq War. He claimed that his helicopter was hit by an RPG – in fact, he was in another helicopter that was untouched.

Ms Turness was criticised for allowing Mr Williams to issue a half-hearted apology, which was met with derision. It also prompted scrutiny of other dramatic claims that the news presenter had made over the years.

She later moved to a lower profile role as president of NBC News International.

Ms Turness returned to ITN as chief executive in April last year, saying she was delighted to be back. “I felt like I had a figurative hug when I walked in the door,” she told the Telegraph last July.

However, the lure of running the BBC’s news and current affairs division, which will see her managing 6,000 people, proved greater.

‘Privilege’ to lead BBC News

Ms Turness, 54, is a more colourful character than her predecessor. In 2010, she took to the stage at an Edinburgh media festival to perform a dance-off dressed as Lady Gaga.

She is married to John Toker, a former ITV colleague who is now director of communications for security and intelligence at the Cabinet Office. Her first husband, Damien Steward, was a journalist and former roadie for The Clash.

Tim Davie, the BBC director-general, said: “Deborah brings a wealth of experience, insight, first-class editorial judgment, and a strong track record of delivery.

“She is a passionate advocate for the power of impartial journalism and a great believer in the BBC and the role we play, in the UK and globally. 

“She will do a brilliant job of leading our news and current affairs as we deliver on the BBC’s public service mission in the digital age.”

Ms Turness said of her BBC appointment: “In the UK and around the world there has never been a greater need for the BBC’s powerful brand of impartial, trusted journalism.

“It is a great privilege to be asked to lead and grow BBC News at a time of accelerated digital growth and innovation, when its content is reaching more global consumers on more platforms than ever before.”

The BBC said Ms Turness’ CEO title “reflects the BBC’s ambition to continue to build the BBC’s global news brand and continue to grow its news services”.

Ms Unsworth leaves her role at the end of this month.