Some of the BBC’s top comedy shows have faced criticism in recent years over perceived left-wing bias, while BBC comedians have also faced criticism over political comments and jokes. Last year, comedian Jo Brand made a joke on BBC Radio Four’s comedy show Heresy about throwing battery acid over ‘unpleasant’ politicians. She branded the throwing … Read more
Any idea that Tim Davie might enjoy a honeymoon period as the BBC’s new director-general has gone up in smoke. He takes over the job today, with the row about the Last Night of the Proms still reverberating and with every opinion poll confirming that the public firmly thinks the BBC got it wrong with … Read more
BBC’s new director-general Tim Davie is ‘open’ to replacing licence fee with Netflix-style subscription Davie, 53, has been ordered to come up with a viable funding model for the BBC Among measures floated is a subscription model similar to Netflix or Amazon Conservative minister said there is ‘real optimism’ about Davie’s pragmatism By Helena Kelly For … Read more
The BBC’s tax-payer funded offices are sitting empty as vast swathes of employees continue to work from home. Workers in pubs, restaurants and shops surrounding the BBC’s London and Manchester headquarters have reported a hit to their profits – with some seeing a drop of 80 per cent as staff leave their desks deserted. Some … Read more
Tory MPs’ backlash as they warn the Government about the ‘palpable’ anger of their voters over the BBC’s decision to scrap free TV licences for over-75s – as figures show over 90 per cent will have the perk taken away The BBC says it’s forced to limit free licences to those on pension credit It … Read more
Newsreader Huw Edwards has revealed he took a £120,000 pay cut amid the BBC’s equal pay row as a gesture to his female colleagues. The News at Ten anchor said he made his decision at the height of the BBC’s gender pay controversy as he felt it was ‘the right thing to do’. Mr Edwards, … Read more
Amber Rudd, Nicky Morgan and Andrew Neil are among those in the running to take over as the BBC’s next chairman as Boris Johnson seeks a candidate in tune with the Government’s agenda. The Prime Minister is said to be drawing up a long list of possible candidates, all of which do not want to … Read more
Much Ado About Nothing (BBC iPlayer) Rating: Verdict: Gorgeously cosy nostalgia Treasure (BBC iPlayer) Rating: Verdict: Crafty tale of the unexpected First Things (Scenes For Survival, nationaltheatrescotland.com) Rating: Verdict: Sweetly sentimental elegy We were supposed to have news this week of Andrew Scott in Stephen Beresford’s one-man play Three Kings, live-streamed from London’s Old Vic. Unfortunately, … Read more
BBC’s rush to axe free licences for over-75s is a ‘dog’s breakfast’ that will leave many of them scared and confused, warn MPs MPs hit out at BBC’s rush to scrap free TV licences for millions of over-75s More than three million households who do not get pension credit must now pay Over-75s have been … Read more
Prominent female comedian Katherine Ryan has attacked the gender tokenism on the BBC’s satirical panel show Mock the Week on her podcast, Telling Everybody Everything. Ryan, who has not appeared on the show since 2015, said that she boycotted it because she felt her appearances were used to deflect criticism from Mock the Week over … Read more