'Bullied' ex-TV executive claims she suffered heart failure brought on by stress

A senior TV executive suffered stress-induced heart failure after her boss "humiliated" and "undermined" her, court documents claim.

Amanda Rees is claiming undisclosed damages from publicly-funded S4C, alleging it was "negligent" and "breached statutory duty" to protect her and other staff.

S4C is defending the claim "robustly", saying Rees failed to report concerns about her health or use support services available.

Rees claims ex-chief executive Sian Doyle used an "uncompromising, divisive and rigid" management style and "bullied" her by "belittling, demeaning and humiliating" her.

Doyle strongly denies the allegations.

Rees is the third ex-S4C employee, which receives BBC licence fee money, to file a high court claim.

She left her position as director of platforms in October 2023, having been away from work on sick leave since February of the same year.

In a document submitted to the High Court, shared with Newyddion S4C, she outlines a series of complaints against S4C, claiming the broadcaster failed in their duty to protect her from harm.

The documents allege Doyle used a management style which was "uncompromising, divisive and rigid" and that she "bullied" Rees by "belittling, demeaning and humiliating" her.

Lawyers on behalf of Rees claim Doyle would repeatedly use the phrase "shoot one and a thousand tremble" and that she told Rees "you do not need trust to create change, you need to create anxiety for change."

According to the document, Doyle was "rude" and "offensive" about employees, using "derogatory, coarse, demeaning and offensive language about them."

Rees claims she was undermined by Doyle, with many of her work responsibilities offered to others. She says she raised concerns about Doyle's behaviour with senior managers and HR before the Bectu union also raised concerns which led to the independent investigation by legal firm Capital Law.

In a statement issued to Newyddion S4C, Doyle says she will "strongly refute all allegations" attributed to her, claiming they "are factually incorrect and/or taken wholly out of context".

S4C's ex-chief content officer Llinos Griffin-Williams is also specifically criticised in the claim, with allegations she "adopted a similar leadership style to Sian Doyle" which "served to make the corporate culture extremely toxic", with "intimidation and division... deliberately fostered by Doyle and Griffin-Williams".

As part of the senior leadership team, it is alleged staff members confided in Rees, "some in tears, describing their fear and frustration". One member of staff is said to have suffered a "severe mental health crisis" following a conversation with her about their concerns.

Griffin-Williams also denies the accusations made against her, saying in a statement to Newyddion S4C: "I showed Amanda Rees kindness, respect and professionalism at all times. This is not a case being brought against me."

Two alleged incidents at management away days are referred to in the particulars of Rees's claim. It is claimed Doyle stated her desire to sack the whole commissioning team at the broadcaster because they were "awkward and hostile", with coarse language suggesting she wanted them dismissed.

According to a document outlining Rees' claim, she suffered a stress-induced heart attack the following day after an "animated" conversation with Doyle about the capability of other S4C staff to undertake their work duties.

Rees claims in the document that the "prolonged psychological distress" of working at S4C has "undermined her professional confidence and eroded her emotional and psychological resilience."

In her statement, Doyle says she was "appointed to lead S4C at a critical moment: to transform an underperforming broadcaster and address a deeply entrenched culture".

Making it clear that the latest legal action is against S4C and not herself, Doyle says she would "welcome unreservedly" being called as a witness and that "the full truth, presented with rigorous evidence and testimony will speak for itself".

S4C's defence document denies a number of Rees's claims. The broadcaster suggests "at no time...[did Amanda Rees] inform [S4C] she was at any risk of injury caused by stress and/or the behaviour of others", that her fixed-term contract had twice been extended, and that she was given six months of gardening leave before her tenure as director of platforms ended.

Of the alleged incident at the management away day, it says there was "nothing inappropriate" about the expression of Doyle's view and that "nothing was directed at" Rees personally.

The broadcaster also points to previous health concerns, outlined in Rees's medical records including issues with her heart, which, it says, she did not report to her employer.

Doyle and Griffin-Williams recently settled their own legal disputes out of court with S4C.

They reportedly received substantial settlements worth hundreds of thousands of pounds in ending their legal action. According to S4C sources, no public money was spent on the settlements themselves.

However, in response to a separate freedom of information request by Newyddion S4C, the broadcaster revealed legal fees in contesting Doyle and Griffin-Williams' claims totalled £110,358.

S4C said the payments came from financial reserves and therefore did not affect content creation or development budgets.

Both Doyle and Griffin-Williams had previously been sacked from their employment with S4C.

Doyle was sacked from her £162,000 a year position after a lengthy investigation by an external legal company found that she had behaved in a "dictatorial" manner and was responsible for a "culture of fear" during her tenure at S4C.

Doyle claimed at the time she did not "recognise nor accept" the allegations.

Griffin-Williams was sacked in October 2023 after allegedly verbally abusing former Wales scrum half Mike Phillips while drunk after an international game at the Rugby World Cup. She denies the allegations and says she has been treated unfairly.