Guy Lynn is a British investigative journalist for the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

, serving as the corporation’s sole dedicated investigative reporter for London. His stories have appeared across television, radio, and digital platforms, including the One and Six O’Clock News,

Newsnight ''Newsnight'' is the BBC's news and current affairs programme, providing in-depth investigation and analysis of the stories behind the day's headlines. It is broadcast weeknights at 10:30 on BBC Two and the BBC News channel; it is also avail ...

, the

Today programme ''Today'', colloquially known as ''the Today programme'', is BBC Radio 4's long-running morning news and current-affairs radio programme. Broadcast on Monday to Saturday from 06:00 to 09:00 (starting on Saturday at 07:00), it is produced by BB ...

BBC Breakfast ''BBC Breakfast'' is a British television breakfast news programme, produced by BBC News and broadcast on BBC One every morning from 6:00am. It is also broadcast on the UK feed of BBC News channel on weekends. The simulcast is presented live, ...

, and

BBC Online BBC Online, formerly known as BBCi, is the BBC's online service. It is a large network of websites including such high-profile sites as BBC News and BBC Sport, Sport, the on-demand video and radio services branded BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds, t ...

. In 2025, he won the Nations and Regions Reporter of the Year prize at the UK's national

Royal Television Society The Royal Television Society (RTS) is a British-based educational charity for the discussion, and analysis of television in all its forms, past, present, and future. It is the oldest television society in the world. It currently has fourteen r ...

TV Journalism Awards.

Biography

Lynn was born in London, educated at

Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School Haberdashers' Boys' School (formerly Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School) is a 4–18 boys Independent school (United Kingdom) in Elstree, Hertfordshire, England. It is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference. The school was ...

in Elstree, and studied Geography at

Oxford University The University of Oxford is a collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the second-oldest continuously operating u ...

. He began his broadcasting career at BBC local radio before working for Channel One TV (London),

Reuters Reuters ( ) is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide writing in 16 languages. Reuters is one of the largest news agencies in the world. The agency ...

Television,

BBC South BBC South is the BBC English Region serving Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Dorset, West Sussex, Oxfordshire, Berkshire and parts of Gloucestershire, Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Surrey, and Wiltshire, with geographic coverage varying between ...

, and

ITV West ITV or iTV may refer to: Television TV stations/networks/channels ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network and company, including: **ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network in the United Kingd ...

. He has regularly appeared on other BBC One programmes such as ''

Rip Off Britain Rip-off Britain is an expression used by some to refer to the phenomenon in which some products and services cost significantly more in the United Kingdom than in other countries, especially member states of the European Union and the United St ...

'' and ''

Morning Live ''Morning Live'' is a magazine programme that airs on weekday mornings between 9:30 am and 10:45 am on BBC One. History ''Morning Live'' first broadcast on 26 October 2020 as a 40-part series to connect with viewers' real-life concerns and to o ...

'', and also trains BBC journalists in investigative and covert filming techniques. He previously worked as a rural affairs and environment correspondent for both network BBC news and

BBC Look North ''BBC Look North'' is a name used by the BBC for its regional news programmes in three regions in the North of England: * '' BBC Look North'' for the BBC North East and Cumbria region * '' BBC Look North'' for the BBC Yorkshire region * '' BBC L ...

. He was a contributing author to the book ''Investigative Journalism: Dead or Alive'' (Abramis, 2011), a volume examining the state and future of accountability journalism.

Notable investigations

Lynn has reported and produced dozens of high-impact investigations exposing fraud, corruption, criminality, discrimination, human rights abuses, regulatory failure and the abuse of power These include: The exposure of major safety flaws and failures by leading pub chains in the national flagship “Ask for Angela” pub safety scheme for women in distress prompted national reform. A BBC investigation into a COVID fraudster styling himself as a bishop selling fake vaccine exemption kits to NHS and care workers who was convicted of fraud following Lynn’s undercover reporting. A report on fraudulent minicab licensing in London which led

Transport for London Transport for London (TfL) is a local government body responsible for most of the transport network in London, United Kingdom. TfL is the successor organization of the London Passenger Transport Board, which was established in 1933, and His ...

to suspend thousands of applications and reform its vetting system. Gangs charging £2,000 to help candidates cheat the UK citizenship test using hidden earpieces were exposed in an undercover BBC investigation, prompting national scrutiny of testing security and attempts to obtain fake passports. An exposé on the illegal sale of prescription-only medicines by UK pharmacists which triggered the UK’s largest disciplinary crackdown in the sector to date. An investigation revealing how estate agents in London were blocking Black people from viewing properties, prompting widespread media coverage, political calls for an inquiry, public protests, and winning both the BBC Ruby and CIRCOM investigative journalism awards. In 2013, Lynn's BBC report on the underground trade in illegal driving licences led to the UK's

Department of Transport A ministry of transport or transportation is a ministry responsible for transportation within a country. It usually is administered by the ''minister for transport''. The term is also sometimes applied to the departments or other government a ...

announcing a change in the law. Ukraine suspended their top Olympic official, secretary general Volodymr Gerashchenko after Lynn's undercover investigation caught him attempting to illegally sell scores of tickets for the London Olympic Games on the black market A 2009 exposé on discrimination against migrant workers in Boston, Lincolnshire led to an

Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says that it has more than ten million members a ...

Media Award and prompted action by the

Equality and Human Rights Commission The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is a non-departmental public body in Great Britain, established by the Equality Act 2006 with effect from 1 October 2007. The Commission has responsibility for the promotion and enforcement of e ...

. Amnesty described the investigation as “shocking and emblematic of a deeper malaise in UK society,” noting it made “waves from Poland to China.” Lynn’s undercover report on fake

veterinarian A veterinarian (vet) or veterinary surgeon is a medical professional who practices veterinary medicine. They manage a wide range of health conditions and injuries in non-human animals. Along with this, veterinarians also play a role in animal r ...

Leonard French, who controlled much of the UK’s black market in animal medicine, led directly to French’s conviction and imprisonment for 12 months in 2007 at Lincoln Crown Court. French’s attempt to overturn the sentence was rejected by the Court of Appeal.

Documentaries

Between 2000 and 2003, Lynn was based in the Middle East, covering the

intifada Intifada () is an Arabic word for a rebellion or uprising, or a resistance movement. It can also be used to refer to a civilian uprising against oppression.Ute Meinel''Die Intifada im Ölscheichtum Bahrain: Hintergründe des Aufbegehrens von 19 ...

and

9/11 attacks The September 11 attacks, also known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing the first two into ...

for ABC TV News. He wrote and directed the documentary series ''Ordinary People'', broadcast on several international stations, and co-authored the five-part TV documentary series ''100 Years of Terror'' for Set Productions.

Awards

* Winner –

National Television Journalism Awards 2025: Nations and Regions Reporter of the Year * Highly commended – AIB Awards 2020: Best Short TV Documentary ("Cab Fraud") * Highly commended –

Prix CIRCOM Prix was an American power pop band formed in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1975 by Tommy Hoehn and Jon Tiven. The group ended up primarily as a studio project. Its recordings were produced by Tiven along with former Big Star member Chris Bell, who al ...

2017: Investigative Journalism * Nominee – BBC Ruby Awards 2016: Best Exclusive Story * Nominee – BBC Ruby Awards 2016: Programme of the Year * Winner – BBC Ruby Awards 2014: Best Exclusive Story * Winner –

2014: Investigative Journalism Prize * Winner –

EDF Energy EDF Energy is a British integrated energy company, wholly owned by the French state-owned EDF (Électricité de France), with operations spanning electricity generation and the sale of natural gas and electricity to homes and businesses throug ...

Media Awards 2014: Television Journalist of the Year * Winner –

Guild of Food Writers The Guild of Food Writers (GFW) is a professional association of food writers and broadcasters in the United Kingdom. It has around 600 authors, broadcasters, columnists and journalists among its members. In 2022 Delia Smith was presented with ...

Awards 2014: Food Broadcast of the Year * Highly commended – AIB Awards 2014: Best Short TV Documentary ("Racism in Housing") * Nominee –

Awards 2014: Campaigning and Investigative Journalism * Nominee – European Diversity Awards 2014: Journalist of the Year * Nominee –

Media Awards 2014: Best Nations and Regions Coverage * Nominee – EDF London/South of England Media Awards 2014: Specialist Journalist of the Year * Winner –

Media Award 2010: Best Nations and Regions Coverage * Winner – (regional)

Reporter of the Year: 2010RTS Yorkshire 2010
/ref> * Bronze – BBC Gillard Award 2008: Best Original Journalism * Winner – (regional)

Reporter of the Year: 2007 * Bronze – BBC Ruby Award 2007: Best Exclusive * Winner – (regional)

Reporter of the Year: 2006 * Bronze – BBC Ruby Award 2006: TV News Journalist of the Year

References

External links

Guy Lynn on Twitter

BBC blog – going undercover

BBC blog – giving evidence in court

BBC report – Rat meat on sale in London

BBC report – Illegal hare coursing

IMDb – Ordinary People
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lynn, Guy British television journalists British investigative journalists British reporters and correspondents BBC newsreaders and journalists Alumni of St Anne's College, Oxford People educated at Haberdashers' Boys' School Living people Year of birth missing (living people)