BBC boss fails to cut divorce payout
A BBC boss has lost her court fight to cut her unemployed ex-husband’s share of their £2.17million fortune.
Former One Show chief and BBC head of development,Tessa Finch, 57, earned £160,000-a-year while Barry Baker ran up £66,000 of debts, London’s Civil Appeal Court heard.
Mr Baker, 69, was awarded a £733,650 lump sum out of the couple’s assets as well as a third-share of his ex-wife’s lucrative BBC pension.
Ms Finch retained £1.58million in assets and two thirds of her pension, which Bristol Family Court had valued at £2million in November. She had earlier had the settlement for her ex reduced on appeal after the first hearing had given him £814,000 and 48.6 per cent of her pension in January 2019.
Still not satisfied she challenged the order in the Court of Appeal, seeking to get her ex-husband’s share cut.
The couple married in 1993, had two children and separated in 2012-2013 when the husband left their house.
Their fortune consisted mainly of the former matrimonial home, investment properties and Ms Finch’s pension.
Her lawyers yesterday told Lord Justice Moylan that Mr Baker had made a “significantly negative” contribution to the family fortunes and should not have got the payout that he did.
They said Mr Baker “has not sought to have any real contact with the children since the separation”.
The result was that the “burden of the care of the children will rest upon the wife for many years,” they claimed.
But Lord Justice Moylan ruled the divorce judge had got it right. He upheld an earlier ruling that Mr Baker had made a modest contribution to the couple’s income while his conduct was not relevant in splitting their fortune.
Rejecting the appeal the judge said the husband needed the lump sum and the pension share to meet his needs.