London: The BBC on Thursday apologised to US President Donald Trump for a misleading edit of his January 6, 2021, speech but denied defaming him, dismissing the basis of his $1 billion lawsuit threat.

BBC Chair Samir Shah sent a personal letter to the White House expressing regret over the editing error in a documentary that had spliced together sections of Trump’s address delivered nearly an hour apart, the broadcaster said.

“We accept that our edit unintentionally created the impression that we were showing a single continuous section of the speech, rather than excerpts from different points, giving the mistaken impression that President Trump had made a direct call for violent action,” the BBC said in its retraction.

The clarification followed a legal notice from Trump’s lawyer demanding an apology, a full retraction, and compensation for alleged “financial and reputational harm,” citing the wrongfully edited version aired in “Panorama: Trump – A Second Chance?” broadcast ahead of the 2024 US election.

The BBC said there were no plans to rebroadcast the programme, produced by a third-party company, which linked three quotes from separate parts of the 2021 speech — cutting out a segment where Trump urged supporters to protest peacefully.

The controversy prompted the resignations of BBC Director-General Tim Davie and News Chief Deborah Turness, who said they were stepping down as the scandal had caused serious damage to the broadcaster’s credibility.

Legal experts noted that Trump would face difficulties pursuing the defamation threat. Deadlines for legal action in UK courts expired over a year ago, and the documentary was not broadcast in the US, making it hard to prove reputational harm.

Meanwhile, the BBC said it was examining a report that its Newsnight programme in 2022 had similarly edited portions of the same speech.

Experts added that even if the case went to trial, the BBC could argue that Trump suffered no lasting harm, as he ultimately returned to the White House after winning the 2024 presidential election.

With inputs from AP