The BBC was accused of "arrogance" as its boss accepted Radio 2 was wrong to announce Jonathan Ross's return date.
Sir Michael Lyons, chairman of the BBC, said "nothing" had been ruled out during the inquiry into the Andrew Sachs controversy, sparking speculation that £6 million-a-year Ross could face further disciplinary action.
But the BBC Trust later issued a statement which indicated no further sanction against Ross was expected. Ross is serving a three-month suspension from the airwaves after he and Russell Brand caused uproar by leaving lewd messages on the Fawlty Towers' actor's answering machine.
Sir Michael and BBC director-general Mark Thompson came under fire from MPs during a tough Culture, Media and Sport Committee hearing at the House of Commons. Radio 2 said last week that Ross would return on January 24.
John Whittingdale, the committee chairman, asked Sir Michael whether this announcement was premature, given that the Trust was not due to publish its final report on the scandal until Friday. Sir Michael replied: "There are many aspects of this affair which I would like to have seen handled differently. I am sure in the last week the BBC has done a few things I wish it hadn't - it's a big organisation."
The Trust chairman indicated the body had yet to make its final decision on the scandal. "The BBC Trust has not finished its deliberations and all of the matters are subject to the final decision," he said. "There is nothing that has been ruled out from the final deliberations of the BBC Trust."
This appeared to raise the possibility of more punishment for Ross, as although the Trust has no power to sack BBC employees, it could rule the moves taken to redress the Sachs incident were insufficient, putting pressure on Mr Thompson to take further action.
But a statement from the Trust appeared to put Ross' position in less doubt. It said the Trust had ratified the BBC management's decision to suspend Ross without pay for three months as "an appropriate sanction".
The statement continued: "The Trust will not pre-empt its own inquiry, but based on the oral updates it has received since 30 October, it does not expect the director-general's final report to provide new information of substance relating to Jonathan Ross's role which would lead it to change its view on his part in this incident."
The BBC Trust meets on Thursday to discuss the corporation's handling of the affair, which prompted more than 40,000 complaints.
