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BBFC Board

The BBFC Board is made up of seven Directors who each bring expertise from a variety of disciplines including the cinema, television, Video on Demand (VoD) and media industries and from public service, social welfare and charity roles.

The seven members include four Statutory Classifiers: our President, Vice Presidents and Chief Executive, who are designated by the Government to collectively classify films and series under the Video Recordings Act 1984 (VRA) and are responsible for all policies relating to classification. It also includes three Independent Directors, who advise us on our organisational strategy and the administering of our financial affairs.

Current members are: Natasha Kaplinsky OBE (President, BBFC and Chair, BBFC Board), Murphy Cobbing (Vice President), Lord Patel of Bradford OBE (Vice President), David Austin OBE (Chief Executive), Gloria De Piero (Independent Director), Darren Jobling (Independent Director) and John Stanley (Independent Director).

Natasha Kaplinsky

President, BBFC and Chair, Board of Directors

Natasha Kaplinsky OBE is one of television’s best-loved broadcasters. Natasha has previously worked as one of the anchors for ITN network and was the Face of Five, anchoring the channel’s main evening news programme. She has also been the co-host of 6 O’Clock News and BBC Breakfast. Throughout her career, Natasha has held purposeful roles across public, private and non-profit sectors. With over 20 years of experience, Natasha has worked within both philanthropic and commercial businesses to support vulnerable people and communities around the world.

Murphy Cobbing

Vice President, Board Director

Murphy is a former BBC news and documentary producer of 20 years standing. She has also worked for the independent TV production company, Liberty Bell, and the Newcastle Evening Chronicle. She was born and raised in Gateshead and spent most of her career in journalism in the north east of England. Until recently, she was a trustee and Vice Chair of the Tyneside Cinema, the only purpose built newsreel theatre in the UK still operating, and also a trustee of the North East Circus Development Trust.

Lord Patel

Vice President, Board Director

Lord Patel of Bradford OBE is a qualified social worker and in March 2018, was appointed Chair of Social Work England, the regulator for all child, family and adult social workers. He was previously a Senior Independent Director of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), and Chair of the Mental Health Act Commission, and a Commissioner of the Healthcare Commission and the National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse. He has also authored a number of national reports, including The Patel Report into Prison Drug Treatment.

David Austin

Chief Executive

Our Chief Executive is David Austin. He is responsible for making executive decisions on behalf of the Board of Classification, ensuring the execution of policy, management of the BBFC, and handling external relations with the industries and people we serve, as well as other relevant bodies. David joined the BBFC in 2003 as an Examiner after a career in the Diplomatic Service, serving in South Asia, Central Africa and the former Yugoslavia. In 2011, he became Assistant Director, Policy and Public Affairs, before becoming Chief Executive in March 2016. He is a member of the Board of the Cinema Advertising Association (CAA).

Gloria De Piero

Independent Director

Gloria De Piero was a political journalist for 15 years working for the BBC and then ITV’s breakfast programme GMTV. She interviewed most senior politicians during that time including Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown and David Cameron as Leader of the Opposition. She was elected as the Labour MP for Ashfield in Nottinghamshire in 2010 but did not stand for re-election in 2019. She spent most of her time as an MP on Labour’s front bench and Shadow Cabinet.

Darren Jobling

Independent Director

Darren has software innovation encoded in his DNA, launching his career in the games industry where he pioneered the creation of racing simulations for industry giants such as Electronic Arts, Activision and Take Two. In 2014, he ventured into uncharted territory with the launch of ZeroLight, quickly earning it a spot amongst the Top 100 Start-Ups in the UK. As the visionary force behind ZeroLight, Darren leads a team that creates digital marketing platforms for global mobility leaders, including VW, Mitsubishi, Lucid Motors, and BRP. His commitment to innovation has not only elevated ZeroLight to industry leading status, but has also cultivated robust strategic alliances with the major players in the technology sector. Recognised as one of the Most Ambitious Business Leaders in the UK, Darren continues to shape the future of digital innovation at the intersection of commercial applications and cutting edge technologies.

John Stanley

Independent Director

John has over 35 years of experience within transactional, physical and digital media, within Film, TV, Games, Music and Branded products businesses to bring to the BBFC Board. He is the former EVP & MD at Warner Bros. where he spent 15 years leading the Home Entertainment division in the UK, Eire, Spain and Nordics. During his career John has led commercial entertainment businesses through format transitions, from physical tapes to discs and on to digital streaming/downloads. He also helped drive the industry within traditional Retail outlets and managed the birth of E-commerce and Broadcast media companies as they entered the transactional Video and Games industries. John was Chairman of the Home Entertainment Industry council for three years and is an industry expert across International and US Film and Games operations. Prior to his time at Warner Bros, he was at 20th Century Fox in senior Sales, Marketing and Managing Director roles. He began his career in commercial positions in the Music Industry, initially in Retail and then with CBS Records and Polygram Music.

Associated Bodies

The Advisory Panel on Children's Viewing (APCV)

Set up by the BBFC in 1999, the Advisory Panel for Children’s Viewing (APCV) is an independent body that advises the BBFC on issues concerning the interests of children and young people. Its members provide a wide range of skills and expertise connected with child welfare and contribute to the development of BBFC policy.

Reg Bailey CBE
Chair of the Board of Trustees at YMCA England & Wales

Catherine Doran

Safeguarding Trustee, Save The Children; Board member of Children and Families Court Advisory Service, Ministry of Justice

David Gajadharsingh

Head Teacher (Academic & Pastoral Principal) at The Royal Ballet School, London

Alan Hardie

Chief Executive Officer at Northumberland Church of England Academy Trust

Joanna Jepson

British Army Chaplain, broadcaster, mediator, author and coach James Lockwood Headmaster at Woodhouse Grove School, Bradford; Trustee of a Multi Academy Trust

Anne Longfield

CBE Chair, Commission on Young Lives; former Children’s Commissioner for England

Tim Loughton

Former Children’s Minister and former long-serving MP

Catherine McAllister

Head of Editorial Standards at BBC Children’s & Education

Dr Helen Molden

Psychologist & Psychotherapist, specialising in support for children and young people with long-term health conditions

Louise Robinson

Former headteacher, independent school 4-18; Registered Lead Inspector, educational consultant and appraiser

Dr Shirley Woods-Gallagher

Executive Director at Newbridge Multi Academy Trust; Advisor on Invest In Play; Trustee of Respect for All; Ethics Committee Member for Foundations What Works Centre; member of Medicines In Special Schools

The Video Packaging Review Committee (VPRC)

Established in 1987, the VPRC is administered by the BBFC. It is a voluntary system, designed to prevent offence to members of the public caused by explicitly violent or sexual imagery being displayed in public places on the covers of videos and DVDs. It also checks that submitted video packaging complies with relevant legislation regarding the display of age ratings.

Cinema posters for films classified with an age rating of 18 are also reviewed by a joint BBFC-industry body.