Key facts
- Evri is suing the BBC for £1.2 million in damages.
- The lawsuit is over a Panorama documentary titled 'Evri: Where’s my parcel?'.
- Evri claims the documentary falsely suggested exploitative business practices and misleading parliament regarding courier pay.
- The company alleges the documentary caused the loss of prospective contracts worth £1.2 million.
- Evri is also seeking general damages and an injunction against the BBC.
- The BBC has stated it does not comment on ongoing legal proceedings.
The parcel delivery company Evri has initiated legal action against the BBC, seeking £1.2 million in damages. Evri alleges that a Panorama documentary broadcast on December 15, 2025, contained defamatory statements that caused significant financial harm.
In court documents filed at the High Court, Evri's legal team, led by Hugh Tomlinson KC, stated that the documentary segment wrongly implied the company engaged in exploitative business practices to underpay its couriers and misled Parliament by denying such practices. Evri claims these allegations led to the loss of prospective contracts valued at approximately £1.2 million. The company is seeking special damages for this amount, along with general damages and an injunction to prevent the BBC from repeating the claims.
The documentary, titled 'Evri: Where’s my parcel?', is still available on BBC iPlayer and carries a note indicating it is the subject of a libel claim by Evri. The BBC's description of the program stated that reporters went undercover to investigate working pressures, customer complaints, and courier struggles.
Evri, which was rebranded from Hermes in 2022 and is owned by private equity firm Apollo Capital Management, disputes the documentary's claims, asserting it offers fast, reliable, and cost-effective delivery services and that its couriers earn above the national minimum wage. The company previously merged with the UK e-commerce arm of DHL.
A spokesperson for the BBC stated that the broadcaster does not comment on legal proceedings, while an Evri spokesperson confirmed the defamation claim and declined further comment due to the ongoing case.