Stress-Induced Heart Failure Alleged by Former TV Executive
A senior television executive has claimed she suffered heart failure caused by stress after being subjected to humiliation and undermining by her superior, according to court documents.
Amanda Rees is pursuing undisclosed damages from the publicly funded broadcaster S4C, alleging negligence and breach of statutory duty in failing to protect her and other employees.
S4C is vigorously defending the claim, asserting that Rees did not report health concerns or utilize available support services.
Allegations Against Former Chief Executive Sian Doyle
Rees alleges that former chief executive Sian Doyle employed an "uncompromising, divisive and rigid" management approach and bullied her through belittling, demeaning, and humiliating conduct.
Doyle has categorically denied these allegations.
Rees is the third former S4C employee, an organisation funded by BBC licence fees, to initiate a High Court claim.
She resigned from her role as director of platforms in October 2023, having been on sick leave since February of the same year.
In documents submitted to the High Court and shared with Newyddion S4C, Rees details multiple complaints against S4C, asserting the broadcaster failed in its duty of care to protect her from harm.
The documents describe Doyle's management style as "uncompromising, divisive and rigid" and accuse her of bullying Rees by "belittling, demeaning and humiliating" her.
Legal representatives for Rees claim Doyle frequently used the phrase "shoot one and a thousand tremble" and told Rees,
"you do not need trust to create change, you need to create anxiety for change."
According to the documents, Doyle was "rude" and "offensive" towards employees, employing "derogatory, coarse, demeaning and offensive language about them."
Rees asserts she was undermined by Doyle, with many of her responsibilities reassigned to others. She raised concerns about Doyle's conduct with senior management and human resources before the Bectu union also expressed concerns, prompting an independent investigation by the legal firm Capital Law.
In a statement to Newyddion S4C, Doyle said she will
"strongly refute all allegations"attributed to her, stating they
"are factually incorrect and/or taken wholly out of context."
S4C's former chief content officer Llinos Griffin-Williams is also specifically criticised in the claim. It is alleged 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 claimed that staff confided in Rees, with some reportedly in tears describing their fear and frustration. One staff member is said to have experienced a "severe mental health crisis" following a conversation with Rees about their concerns.
Griffin-Williams denies the allegations, stating in a message to Newyddion S4C:
"I showed Amanda Rees kindness, respect and professionalism at all times. This is not a case being brought against me."
Incidents at Management Away Days and Health Impact
Two alleged incidents during management away days are referenced in Rees's claim. It is asserted that Doyle expressed a desire to dismiss the entire commissioning team at S4C because they were "awkward and hostile," using coarse language to indicate she wanted them removed.
Following an "animated" discussion with Doyle regarding the capability of other S4C staff to perform their duties, Rees reportedly suffered a stress-induced heart attack the next day.
Rees states in the documents that the "prolonged psychological distress" experienced at S4C has
"undermined her professional confidence and eroded her emotional and psychological resilience."
Doyle commented that she was
"appointed to lead S4C at a critical moment: to transform an underperforming broadcaster and address a deeply entrenched culture."
She clarified that the current legal action is directed against S4C as an organisation, not herself personally, and said she would
"welcome unreservedly"being called as a witness, adding that
"the full truth, presented with rigorous evidence and testimony will speak for itself."
S4C's Response and Defence
S4C's defence documents reject several of Rees's claims. The broadcaster states that
"at no time...[did Amanda Rees] inform [S4C] she was at any risk of injury caused by stress and/or the behaviour of others."It also notes that Rees's fixed-term contract was extended twice and that she was granted six months of gardening leave before her tenure as director of platforms concluded.
Regarding the alleged incident at the management away day, S4C asserts there was
"nothing inappropriate"about Doyle's expression of opinion and that
"nothing was directed at"Rees personally.
The broadcaster further references prior health concerns documented in Rees's medical records, including heart issues, which they claim were not reported to the employer.
Legal Settlements and Financial Details
Doyle and Griffin-Williams recently resolved their own legal disputes with S4C through out-of-court settlements.
They reportedly received substantial settlements amounting to hundreds of thousands of pounds. According to S4C sources, no public funds were used for these settlements.
However, in response to a separate freedom of information request by Newyddion S4C, the broadcaster disclosed that legal fees incurred in contesting Doyle and Griffin-Williams' claims totalled £110,358.
S4C stated these payments were made from financial reserves and did not impact budgets for content creation or development.
Dismissals of Doyle and Griffin-Williams
Both Doyle and Griffin-Williams were previously dismissed from their roles at S4C.
Doyle was dismissed from her £162,000 annual position following a comprehensive investigation by an external legal firm, which concluded she had exhibited a "dictatorial" style and was responsible for fostering a "culture of fear" during her tenure.
Doyle denied the allegations at the time, stating she did not
"recognise nor accept"them.
Griffin-Williams was dismissed in October 2023 after allegedly verbally abusing former Wales rugby player Mike Phillips while intoxicated following an international match at the Rugby World Cup. She denies these allegations and claims she was treated unfairly.
