Evri Sues BBC Over Panorama Documentary Alleging Exploitative Practices

On 5 July 2026 Evri Limited filed a libel claim in court against BBC over the Panorama documentary “Evri: Where’s My Parcel?” aired on 15 December 2025. The 15-minute segment alleged exploitative practices and underpayment of couriers. Evri says the broadcast caused loss of contracts and seeks £1.2 million in special damages, general damages, and an injunction.

The IndependentEvri suing BBC for £1.2 million over documentaryThe Guardian

Evri, rebranded from Hermes in 2022, handles 900 million parcels a year. Apollo Capital Management bought it for £2.7 billion in 2024 and merged it with DHL’s UK e-commerce arm.

The Guardian

Senior counsel Hugh Tomlinson KC leads Evri’s case. Evri estimates lost prospective contracts at £1,164,434 pre-tax, while other filings cite £1.1-£1.2 million. It also reports £32,843 spent on client outreach and testimony to a House of Commons committee. The claim seeks around £1.2 million in special damages, unspecified general damages, and an injunction. Sources differ on the exact special-damage figure, and no independent verification of the losses is available.

Evri suing BBC for £1.2 million over documentary

The Evri spokesperson said, “Evri can confirm it has issued a claim for defamation … As this case is ongoing, we will not comment further.” The BBC has not filed a defence and says it does not comment on proceedings. The Panorama episode remains on iPlayer with a 1 July note that it is subject to a libel claim.

The GuardianEvri suing BBC for £1.2 million over documentaryThe Independent

• “The segment meant and was understood to mean that the claimant deployed exploitative business practices designed to reduce pay for its couriers, with the result that they are regularly unlawfully paid less than the national minimum wage; and misled parliament by providing false categorical assurances that couriers were not unlawfully paid below the minimum wage.” — Hugh Tomlinson KC, Senior Counsel for Evri

The Guardian

• “In each case, either the prospective client has referred to the broadcast as the reason why it did not wish to contract with the claimant, or it is to be inferred from all of the circumstances that the reason that the contract was not pursued was due to publication of the segment.” — Hugh Tomlinson KC, Senior Counsel for Evri

The Independent

• “The barrister added: “It is highly likely that the claimant’s recruitment of couriers will be impacted on the basis that they will believe that they will not or cannot guarantee that they would earn the minimum wage if they worked with the claimant.” — Hugh Tomlinson KC, Senior Counsel for Evri

The Independent

• “Evri can confirm it has issued a claim for defamation in respect of a Panorama broadcast published by the British Broadcasting Corporation on BBC One and online on 15 December 2025. As this case is ongoing, we will not comment further.” — Evri spokesperson

The Guardian

A hearing has not yet been set. If an injunction is granted, the BBC may have to remove or edit the segment, affecting investigative reporting on private-sector labour practices.

Evri suing BBC for £1.2 million over documentary