This claim is backed up by official figures.

"It would be a sad irony then if the church, with its own long history, were to be neglected."It would be wonderful to see it as a cultural heritage site with Gibbon's life and reputation at its centre."

The Church of Scotland said it expected the main church building would go up for sale later this year.Its congregation for Sunday services is small, in what is a quiet rural area of just a few hundred people.The kirk hopes nearby Bervie Church will serve as the main focus of local worship.

The Church of Scotland said that, in recent years, it had identified a need for "radical change against a backdrop of falling minister numbers, a decline in membership and a reduction in income".A statement said: "We believe a significant reduction in the number of buildings we own is necessary in order to deliver sustainable and realistic new expressions of ministry and church and to ensure all of our buildings are suitable for the needs of mission in the 21st century.

"As part of the process, the local presbytery has taken the decision to release Arbuthnott Church."

The statement added: "There are no set dates as yet, but under the current mission plan, Arbuthnott Church would be released by the end of 2025."Yentob said the speculation over his conduct - which included claims he had tried to influence the BBC coverage of the charity's demise - had been "proving a serious distraction" when the BBC was in "particularly challenging times".

BBC News later concluded that he did not influence its reporting of Kids Company.In 2021, the founder and former trustees of the charity, including Yentob, were

Yentob continued to make many more programmes for the broadcaster, and was subsequently appointed a CBE in 2024 for services to the arts and media.He is survived by his wife, TV producer Philippa Walker, and their two children.