Carol Vorderman calls into question ‘controversial decisions by BBC management’ – Homepage

By Charlotte McLaughlin, PA Senior Entertainment Reporter

Carol Vorderman has criticised “controversial decisions by BBC management” following the Huw Edwards scandal.

The 63-year-old former Countdown star received a standing ovation after delivering her Alternative MacTaggart lecture at the Edinburgh TV Festival on Friday.

She described herself as someone who had appeared on thousands of TV shows over decades, “sacked twice by the BBC – a pain in the ass, a party lover, post-menopausal”, adding that she had been at the media event “in anger and without apology”.

Vorderman claims she was “fired” by the company without “any discussion being had” after the company introduced new social media guidelines that she disagreed with.

She said “trust in the BBC is declining”, which she said was understandable because of the way “people feel after so many controversial decisions by BBC management”.

Vorderman was referring to former news presenter Edwards, who pleaded guilty to making child sexual abuse images after resigning from the BBC in April. The broadcaster was aware that police had arrested him in November, during his suspension on an unrelated matter.

She cited Match Of The Day presenter Gary Lineker’s tweets about the previous government’s immigration policies, which led to his temporary removal from the programme, and the resignation of BBC chairman Richard Sharp amid questions about the former Goldman Sachs banker’s role in securing an £800,000 loan guarantee for then Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Vorderman also called television “a shambles”, citing Ofcom figures which she said showed the “current decimation of broadcast television”.

Research by the media regulator, published in July, found that on average, less than half of young people watch live television during the week.

Viewers between the ages of 45 and 54 are also starting to turn away from linear television. Viewing figures in this age group fell from 89% to 84% in one year.

“TELEVISION, SNOBBERRY AND LONDON”

Title of my Alternative MacTaggart talk tomorrow at the @edinburghtvfest Festival

From the very first show on Channel 4 – Countdown in 1982, I have worked for all the major channels, doing about 9/10,000 shows

Research shows that TV… photo.twitter.com/ws18iRryJY

— Carol Vorderman (@carolvorders) August 22, 2024

Vorderman, who now presents a Sunday show on LBC radio, added: “Politics, arrogance, snobbery, lead to disillusionment. They are all inextricably linked.

“The rich and powerful corrupting politics, the upper middle class taking over the broadcasts, the increasingly absurd right-wing headlines promoted by political programs. What does this have to do with class? Everything, literally everything.

“After 14 years of austerity and lies from the privileged political class, this country is in absolute shambles and the TV industry must take some of the blame for that too, including the riots.”

The maths expert, who grew up in poverty in Wales, said: “Working class people feel like they’re not represented, that their situation isn’t represented, that the lack of opportunities and the lack of money and jobs isn’t represented”.

Vorderman also said: “Ours is an industry of snobbery: regional snobbery, class snobbery and education snobbery, and don’t even get me started on the political issues.”

She also said that working-class people are increasingly using social media.

Vorderman added: “Social media – no longer the new kid on the block, more like a badly behaved uncle – has changed our society and its rules, and it is decimating our industry as we know it, and for good reason.

“What it gives everyone in cities and towns outside the wealthy southeast the opportunity to do is see and hear points of view they recognize, in language they recognize.

“It is no longer necessary to go through the filter of a producer, or an editor, or someone who has never been to my village, my city, or my region, who has no idea how people like me live and what concerns we have.”

She cited research from the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre which found that last year less than 10% of people in the television, video, radio and photography sectors were working class.

Vorderman also said that Reform UK leader Nigel Farage’s appearance on the ITV show I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! helped to “normalise” his views.

“Nigel Farage on I’m A Celebrity, ‘oh Nigel is just Nigel, it’s nothing to do with me’ – what planet is this person on who thinks that?” Vorderman asked.

Earlier in the festival, ITV chief executive Kevin Lygo defended Farage’s time on the show.

“The public is smart enough to form their own opinion. Honestly, it was not my intention to offend anyone,” he added.

Vorderman also said that “bad actors are manipulating the fact that the mainstream media may not speak the language of the working class”.

She added: “I hope this year’s TV festival has really made you think about your own perceptions and ask yourself questions about class and opportunity, and the responsibility you have for the future of this country.”

Vorderman has increasingly turned to political activism, including criticism of the previous Conservative government. Her book Out Of Order: What’s Gone Wrong With Britain And One Woman’s Mission To Fix It is expected to be published in September.

After the session, she also said television was in a “death spiral” and called on executives to “go out more” in the regions during an interview with Loose Women star Charlene White.

Vorderman also said she has become increasingly outspoken and disagrees with the “unwritten rules for celebrities” that say they should be nice to newspapers.

She added: “I was just frustrated because after all these years of being on television, I think there were very few voices on television that were telling the truth as I saw it, about how shameful it was and so forth.”