Delivery firm Evri sues BBC for £1.2m over Panorama
Evri is suing the BBC for about £1.2 million over a Panorama segment that aired on BBC One on 15 December 2025. The parcel delivery firm claims the 15-minute segment wrongly suggested it exploited couriers, underpaid workers below the national minimum wage, and misled Parliament, causing serious financial loss and lost contracts worth roughly £1.2 million.
Key Takeaways
- Evri filed a High Court libel claim against the BBC over a 15-minute Panorama segment broadcast on BBC One and iPlayer.
- The firm says the programme falsely implied exploitative pay practices and parliamentary misleading over courier wages.
- Evri is seeking special damages of about £1.2 million, plus general damages and an injunction blocking repeat broadcasts.
- The BBC has not filed a defence and says it does not comment on ongoing legal proceedings.
- The documentary remains on iPlayer with a note that Evri has brought a libel claim.
What is Evri suing the BBC for?
According to High Court documents cited by The Guardian, Evri Limited has issued a defamation claim over Evri: Where's My Parcel?, a 29-minute Panorama documentary. The legal action focuses on a 15-minute segment shown on BBC One and online on 15 December 2025.
Barristers acting for Evri, including Hugh Tomlinson KC, argue the segment wrongly suggested the company "deployed exploitative business practices" and misled Parliament by falsely stating it did not underpay its couriers. Evri denies those claims.
The firm is one of the UK's largest small-parcel delivery companies, handling around 900 million parcels a year. It was rebranded from Hermes in 2022 and is now private equity-owned.
What did the Panorama documentary say?
The BBC's programme description states Panorama reporters went undercover "to investigate the pressures of working in one delivery unit," speaking to unhappy customers and couriers who said they struggled to make a living.
Court papers say viewers would have understood the segment to mean Evri regularly paid couriers less than the national minimum wage and gave false assurances to Parliament. The Guardian reports the documentary remains available on BBC iPlayer, with a 1 July note stating the broadcast is subject to a libel claim by Evri Limited.
Evri told the broadcaster it provides a fast, reliable delivery service and that its couriers earn more than the national minimum wage. Similar courtroom battles over broadcast allegations are covered in our True Crime & Unsolved Mysteries section.
How much money is Evri seeking?
Evri says the broadcast caused "serious financial loss," including the loss of prospective contracts. Lawyers estimated those deals would have generated about £1.2 million in pre-tax profits, leading the company to seek special damages for that sum.
The Independent reports barristers also put lost contract profits at £1,164,434. Evri is additionally seeking general damages for reputational harm and an injunction preventing the BBC from repeating the allegations.
It has not yet been confirmed whether a High Court hearing date has been scheduled. The BBC has not filed a defence and declined to comment on the ongoing proceedings.
What has each side said publicly?
An Evri spokesperson confirmed the company issued a defamation claim over the Panorama broadcast published by the BBC on BBC One and online. Because the case is ongoing, Evri said it would not comment further.
A BBC spokesperson told reporters the corporation does not comment on legal proceedings. The dispute now moves toward the courts, where both the factual accuracy of the programme and the scale of Evri's claimed losses will be tested.