Samir Shah “did not sufficiently demonstrate the strength and character needed to challenge BBC leadership” in areas such as political interference, the UK parliamentary committee that grilled him this week has said.
The Culture, Media & Sport Committee (Cmsc) said it has “serious reservations” about Shah’s “ability to provide the robust challenge that the BBC leadership requires at this time.” Its report on Shah’s three-hour hearing was critical of his refusal to engage with questions on BBC board interference in the Ofcom chair role, along with cuts to local radio and Newsnight.
Shah was questioned several times on allegations that BBC board member Robbie Gibb pressured Ofcom to hire his preferred choice as chair, an accusation made in a recent book by former Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries and confirmed by a senior source to Deadline yesterday.
Shah, who used to work with Gibb, said he would have to wait...
The Culture, Media & Sport Committee (Cmsc) said it has “serious reservations” about Shah’s “ability to provide the robust challenge that the BBC leadership requires at this time.” Its report on Shah’s three-hour hearing was critical of his refusal to engage with questions on BBC board interference in the Ofcom chair role, along with cuts to local radio and Newsnight.
Shah was questioned several times on allegations that BBC board member Robbie Gibb pressured Ofcom to hire his preferred choice as chair, an accusation made in a recent book by former Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries and confirmed by a senior source to Deadline yesterday.
Shah, who used to work with Gibb, said he would have to wait...
- 12/15/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Nadine Dorries was telling the truth when she accused BBC board member Robbie Gibb of meddling in a key appointment at the UK broadcaster’s regulator, Ofcom.
That’s the verdict of a source who worked closely with Dorries during her time as culture secretary in the year to September 2022. This person told Deadline that Gibb “campaigned” for his preferred candidate to become Ofcom chair.
It is the latest twist in a media row that has slowly gathered momentum in the UK after Dorries made allegations about Gibb’s interference in the Ofcom recruitment process in her book The Plot.
Dorries was responsible for hiring the next chair of Ofcom and narrowed the field to Lord Grade, a former BBC and ITV executive, and Lord Gilbert, a Conservative peer who served as an election strategist to former prime minister Theresa May.
Dorries’ preferred candidate was Grade, but she alleged...
That’s the verdict of a source who worked closely with Dorries during her time as culture secretary in the year to September 2022. This person told Deadline that Gibb “campaigned” for his preferred candidate to become Ofcom chair.
It is the latest twist in a media row that has slowly gathered momentum in the UK after Dorries made allegations about Gibb’s interference in the Ofcom recruitment process in her book The Plot.
Dorries was responsible for hiring the next chair of Ofcom and narrowed the field to Lord Grade, a former BBC and ITV executive, and Lord Gilbert, a Conservative peer who served as an election strategist to former prime minister Theresa May.
Dorries’ preferred candidate was Grade, but she alleged...
- 12/14/2023
- by Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
New BBC Chair Samir Shah laid down a marker across multiple topics this morning, announcing his intentions to review the corporation’s reporting guidelines on the Israel-Hamas war, addressing concerns around financing and saying he was told he is “mad” to be taking on the role.
While questioning whether Gary Lineker had broken social media guidelines with his latest Twitter (now X) scandal, he also acknowledged “criticism” over the way the broadcaster has covered the Israel-Hamas war, a highly charged topic since October 7.
Were he to be appointed chair, the former head of the BBC’s political news programs said he would “review” the matter, especially whether the BBC should be referring to Hamas as “terrorists,” a source of controversy that the BBC has faced up to over past weeks.
“It seems to me there is enough in terms of criticism of the way the BBC has covered this war,...
While questioning whether Gary Lineker had broken social media guidelines with his latest Twitter (now X) scandal, he also acknowledged “criticism” over the way the broadcaster has covered the Israel-Hamas war, a highly charged topic since October 7.
Were he to be appointed chair, the former head of the BBC’s political news programs said he would “review” the matter, especially whether the BBC should be referring to Hamas as “terrorists,” a source of controversy that the BBC has faced up to over past weeks.
“It seems to me there is enough in terms of criticism of the way the BBC has covered this war,...
- 12/13/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is joining controversial network Gb News as an anchor and producer.
Johnson, who is set to start his role in the new year, will play “a key role in the channel’s coverage of both the U.K. general election and the U.S. elections next year,” the network said in a statement.
He is also set to create and host a new series about “the power of Britain around the world” and will also occasionally anchor live specials in front of audiences around the U.K.
“Hi folks, Boris Johnson here,” the former leader said in a video announcing the move. “I’m excited to say I’m shortly going to be joining you on Gb News. And I’m going to be giving this remarkable new TV channel my unvarnished views on everything from Russia, China, the war in Ukraine — how we...
Johnson, who is set to start his role in the new year, will play “a key role in the channel’s coverage of both the U.K. general election and the U.S. elections next year,” the network said in a statement.
He is also set to create and host a new series about “the power of Britain around the world” and will also occasionally anchor live specials in front of audiences around the U.K.
“Hi folks, Boris Johnson here,” the former leader said in a video announcing the move. “I’m excited to say I’m shortly going to be joining you on Gb News. And I’m going to be giving this remarkable new TV channel my unvarnished views on everything from Russia, China, the war in Ukraine — how we...
- 10/27/2023
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: The BBC has said it was “wrong to speculate” on who was responsible for the devastating blast at a Gaza City hospital amid internal unrest over its coverage of the tragedy.
The British broadcaster has conceded that a journalist on BBC News channel show The Context should not have speculated that Israel was behind the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital attack on Tuesday night.
The blast, which Palestinian officials said killed hundreds of people, has been fiercely contested. Hamas-controlled Palestinian authorities in Gaza blamed Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said “barbaric terrorists” in Gaza attacked the hospital.
Jon Donnison, an experienced BBC correspondent, told viewers: “It’s hard to see what else this could be really given the size of the explosion other than an Israeli air strike or several air strikes.”
The comments prompted a political outcry in the UK, with former culture secretary Nadine Dorries accusing the BBC...
The British broadcaster has conceded that a journalist on BBC News channel show The Context should not have speculated that Israel was behind the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital attack on Tuesday night.
The blast, which Palestinian officials said killed hundreds of people, has been fiercely contested. Hamas-controlled Palestinian authorities in Gaza blamed Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said “barbaric terrorists” in Gaza attacked the hospital.
Jon Donnison, an experienced BBC correspondent, told viewers: “It’s hard to see what else this could be really given the size of the explosion other than an Israeli air strike or several air strikes.”
The comments prompted a political outcry in the UK, with former culture secretary Nadine Dorries accusing the BBC...
- 10/19/2023
- by Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
UK regulator Ofcom has launched investigations into shows hosted by politicians on Gb News and TalkTV, including one featuring a segment on Donald Trump’s civil trial.
The first investigation concerns former cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg’s State of the Nation for right-leaning Gb News in which the recently-knighted Boris Johnson supporter covered a breaking news story about the verdict involving the former Potus.
State of the Nation received 40 Ofcom complaints. Both Gb News and TalkTV have of late been using politicians to host topical shows but they have consistently stayed within the realms of the regulator’s Broadcasting Code as they are allowed to interview other politicians and discuss topical issues as long as due impartiality is met. Rees-Mogg’s show may have strayed as politicians are not allowed to act as newsreaders unless under “exceptional circumstances.”
The regulator will also investigate an episode of Talk TV’s Richard Tice...
The first investigation concerns former cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg’s State of the Nation for right-leaning Gb News in which the recently-knighted Boris Johnson supporter covered a breaking news story about the verdict involving the former Potus.
State of the Nation received 40 Ofcom complaints. Both Gb News and TalkTV have of late been using politicians to host topical shows but they have consistently stayed within the realms of the regulator’s Broadcasting Code as they are allowed to interview other politicians and discuss topical issues as long as due impartiality is met. Rees-Mogg’s show may have strayed as politicians are not allowed to act as newsreaders unless under “exceptional circumstances.”
The regulator will also investigate an episode of Talk TV’s Richard Tice...
- 7/3/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Controversial former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced he is stepping down as a Member of Parliament with immediate effect.
He made the stunning announcement after receiving the findings of an investigation into whether he knowingly misled Parliament over the so-called Partygate scandal, in which he and his staff were accused of wantonly breaking social distancing rules during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Privileges Committee of the House of Commons is reported to have found him guilty and recommended he be suspended for more than 10 days.
Johnson suggested he was being hounded out of parliament in his bombshell resignation letter on Friday evening.
“I have received a letter from the Privileges Committee making it clear – much to my amazement – that they are determined to use the proceedings against me to drive me out of parliament,” he wrote.
“They have still not produced a shred of evidence that I knowingly or recklessly misled the Commons…...
He made the stunning announcement after receiving the findings of an investigation into whether he knowingly misled Parliament over the so-called Partygate scandal, in which he and his staff were accused of wantonly breaking social distancing rules during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Privileges Committee of the House of Commons is reported to have found him guilty and recommended he be suspended for more than 10 days.
Johnson suggested he was being hounded out of parliament in his bombshell resignation letter on Friday evening.
“I have received a letter from the Privileges Committee making it clear – much to my amazement – that they are determined to use the proceedings against me to drive me out of parliament,” he wrote.
“They have still not produced a shred of evidence that I knowingly or recklessly misled the Commons…...
- 6/9/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Chris Shaw has left the building. The Oscar-nominated British news executive is calling it quits after an on-off love affair with news producer ITN that has spanned 40 years, affording him a front-row seat to the biggest stories of his generation. Semi-retirement beckons, but not before a valedictory interview.
So is this Shaw unleashed? Has he, as Andrew Marr memorably put it when he left the BBC, found his voice after being constrained by ITN’s duty to impartiality? Not quite. It will take more than a jolly phone interview to break the habit of a career. But there is little doubt that he is looser-lipped on his final day at the office — and that’s good news because few are better placed than Shaw to reflect on the state of news in the UK.
His decorated résumé includes helping Rupert Murdoch launch Sky News in 1989 and, nearly a decade later,...
So is this Shaw unleashed? Has he, as Andrew Marr memorably put it when he left the BBC, found his voice after being constrained by ITN’s duty to impartiality? Not quite. It will take more than a jolly phone interview to break the habit of a career. But there is little doubt that he is looser-lipped on his final day at the office — and that’s good news because few are better placed than Shaw to reflect on the state of news in the UK.
His decorated résumé includes helping Rupert Murdoch launch Sky News in 1989 and, nearly a decade later,...
- 4/5/2023
- by Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
Good afternoon Insiders, Max Goldbart penning the newsletter this week in what has been a hugely busy week in the world of international TV and film. We really should stop qualifying that. Read on. And sign up for our weekly Insider here.
Regulation Nation
Bill the Media: It’s been a long time coming but the UK government finally unveiled its draft Media Bill to revamp public broadcasting for the digital age Wednesday, which should come into law later this year barring any more swift changes of government (you never know). Most of the Bill is comprised of policies contained in a landmark White Paper from last year but they are eye-catching: regulation of streamers that could see Netflix et al fined £250,000 if they break harmful material rules or fail to subtitle their shows, prominence for the pubcasters on modern TVs and relaxed quotas for the likes of the BBC,...
Regulation Nation
Bill the Media: It’s been a long time coming but the UK government finally unveiled its draft Media Bill to revamp public broadcasting for the digital age Wednesday, which should come into law later this year barring any more swift changes of government (you never know). Most of the Bill is comprised of policies contained in a landmark White Paper from last year but they are eye-catching: regulation of streamers that could see Netflix et al fined £250,000 if they break harmful material rules or fail to subtitle their shows, prominence for the pubcasters on modern TVs and relaxed quotas for the likes of the BBC,...
- 3/31/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
The UK government has published its long-awaited draft Media Bill to bring the U.S. streamers under its regulatory framework and help public broadcasters “embrace the digital age.”
The bill marks the next step in long-planned legislation that, once passed, could see the likes of Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video fined up to £250,000 or restricted in the UK entirely if they break rules around harmful material that have applied to the public broadcasters for decades.
The White Paper that laid out plans for the bill in April 2022 had initially floated the idea that these streamers either be fined the £250,000 maximum or 5% of their local revenues, whichever was higher, but the latter option has been removed from today’s draft bill.
Once passed, media regulator Ofcom will be given “more robust powers to investigate and take action to enforce standards if they consider it appropriate,” added the UK’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
The bill marks the next step in long-planned legislation that, once passed, could see the likes of Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video fined up to £250,000 or restricted in the UK entirely if they break rules around harmful material that have applied to the public broadcasters for decades.
The White Paper that laid out plans for the bill in April 2022 had initially floated the idea that these streamers either be fined the £250,000 maximum or 5% of their local revenues, whichever was higher, but the latter option has been removed from today’s draft bill.
Once passed, media regulator Ofcom will be given “more robust powers to investigate and take action to enforce standards if they consider it appropriate,” added the UK’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
- 3/28/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
“Ambiguity” around social media guidelines was to blame for the BBC Gary Lineker scandal, according to Ofcom boss Melanie Dawes, who was challenged on the “creeping politicization” of UK TV news during a committee hearing this morning.
Dawes, whose regulator has oversight of many elements of the BBC, said it is right that the corporation “retains responsibility for their own social media guidelines,” as the BBC prepares to launch a review into these guidelines as trade-off for Lineker returning to his Match of the Day hosting duties.
Speaking to the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee (Dcmsc) this morning, Dawes said there was “ambiguity” in the current guidelines that was “designed to give a degree of flexibility but didn’t achieve what the BBC wanted,” leading to the furore. Her comments came after Deadline revealed the BBC had failed to heed a recommendation three years ago that it examine rules...
Dawes, whose regulator has oversight of many elements of the BBC, said it is right that the corporation “retains responsibility for their own social media guidelines,” as the BBC prepares to launch a review into these guidelines as trade-off for Lineker returning to his Match of the Day hosting duties.
Speaking to the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee (Dcmsc) this morning, Dawes said there was “ambiguity” in the current guidelines that was “designed to give a degree of flexibility but didn’t achieve what the BBC wanted,” leading to the furore. Her comments came after Deadline revealed the BBC had failed to heed a recommendation three years ago that it examine rules...
- 3/14/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
The BBC’s Question Time host has stepped down from her role with a leading domestic violence charity after being criticized for defending Boris Johnson’s father from accusations that he is a “wife beater.”
In one of a long line of controversies that has befallen the corporation over the past few days, Fiona Bruce clarified during Friday’s Question Time that the former Prime Minister’s father Stanley Johnson had “not commented publicly” on accusations that he had broken his wife’s nose, while stating that “friends of his have said it was a one off.” The comments came during a Question Time conversation about domestic violence.
Bruce, who also presents the BBC News at Ten, was hit with a volley of criticism for trivializing domestic violence by stepping in to defend Johnson from one of the panellists’ accusations that he is a “wife beater,” and, while she said...
In one of a long line of controversies that has befallen the corporation over the past few days, Fiona Bruce clarified during Friday’s Question Time that the former Prime Minister’s father Stanley Johnson had “not commented publicly” on accusations that he had broken his wife’s nose, while stating that “friends of his have said it was a one off.” The comments came during a Question Time conversation about domestic violence.
Bruce, who also presents the BBC News at Ten, was hit with a volley of criticism for trivializing domestic violence by stepping in to defend Johnson from one of the panellists’ accusations that he is a “wife beater,” and, while she said...
- 3/13/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
The BBC comms department must be reeling this morning after a nightmare 48 hours which saw it firefighting battles on several fronts.
The Corporation’s primetime Saturday night football show Match of the Day will air this weekend without any host, pundits or commentators, after its main presenter Gary Lineker – the BBC’s highest earner on a £1.35million ($1.62m) salary – was taken off air for sending controversial tweets about the government’s migration policy.
After a catalogue of pundits and commentators stood down in solidarity with Lineker, and other presenters said they wouldn’t be appearing, the BBC decided to air the show with just highlights packages. But the row rumbles on, with the spectacle of BBC News journalists door-stepping the Director-General for comments about another BBC presenter.
If America is wondering who is @GaryLineker and what is this huge row playing out in the UK….
I briefly spoke to BBC...
The Corporation’s primetime Saturday night football show Match of the Day will air this weekend without any host, pundits or commentators, after its main presenter Gary Lineker – the BBC’s highest earner on a £1.35million ($1.62m) salary – was taken off air for sending controversial tweets about the government’s migration policy.
After a catalogue of pundits and commentators stood down in solidarity with Lineker, and other presenters said they wouldn’t be appearing, the BBC decided to air the show with just highlights packages. But the row rumbles on, with the spectacle of BBC News journalists door-stepping the Director-General for comments about another BBC presenter.
If America is wondering who is @GaryLineker and what is this huge row playing out in the UK….
I briefly spoke to BBC...
- 3/11/2023
- by Caroline Frost
- Deadline Film + TV
Here’s something I can’t get my head around.
Two of the biggest and most technically complicated television events the BBC would ever have to broadcast — the King’s Coronation and the Eurovision Song Contest — are both taking place back-to-back over an eight-day period this May.
The King’s Coronation will involve considerable outside broadcast resources to cover events at Westminster Abbey, a procession through the heart of London and an appearance by the Royal Family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace. The Coronation will conclude on BBC One and BBC Radio 2 with a concert for the King and Queen Consort at Windsor Palace, featuring stars from across the contemporary arts. And, in a similar vein to the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Concert in 2022, events will conclude with a laser and drone show.
Then, just two days later, the Eurovision Song Contest kicks off in Liverpool. Two semi-finals,...
Two of the biggest and most technically complicated television events the BBC would ever have to broadcast — the King’s Coronation and the Eurovision Song Contest — are both taking place back-to-back over an eight-day period this May.
The King’s Coronation will involve considerable outside broadcast resources to cover events at Westminster Abbey, a procession through the heart of London and an appearance by the Royal Family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace. The Coronation will conclude on BBC One and BBC Radio 2 with a concert for the King and Queen Consort at Windsor Palace, featuring stars from across the contemporary arts. And, in a similar vein to the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Concert in 2022, events will conclude with a laser and drone show.
Then, just two days later, the Eurovision Song Contest kicks off in Liverpool. Two semi-finals,...
- 2/15/2023
- by Scott Bryan
- Variety Film + TV
Frazer will head up a “re-focused” Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
UK prime minister Rishi Sunak has appointed Lucy Frazer as the new culture secretary in today’s (February 7) cabinet reshuffle, with Frazer taking over from Liz Truss appointment Michelle Donelan.
She will head up a “re-focused” Department for Culture, Media and Sport (Dcms). It was previously known as the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
Technology will now sit under the newly-created Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology, which will be headed up by Donelan.
Donelan took over the post from Nadine Dorries in September of last year.
UK prime minister Rishi Sunak has appointed Lucy Frazer as the new culture secretary in today’s (February 7) cabinet reshuffle, with Frazer taking over from Liz Truss appointment Michelle Donelan.
She will head up a “re-focused” Department for Culture, Media and Sport (Dcms). It was previously known as the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
Technology will now sit under the newly-created Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology, which will be headed up by Donelan.
Donelan took over the post from Nadine Dorries in September of last year.
- 2/7/2023
- by Mona Tabbara
- ScreenDaily
Boris Johnson has revealed his weirdly specific new hobby: mastering the form of a cow.
The former UK Prime Minister has told TalkTV, the Rupert Murdoch-backed British television channel, that he spends his days drawing cattle after resigning in scandal last year.
In his first major TV interview since leaving office, Johnson sat down with his friend and colleague Nadine Dorries, the former UK Culture Secretary.
“At the moment I’ve got a project, which is to master the form of the cow,” he told Friday Night with Nadine in an exchange that bordered on bizarre.
Johnson continued: “Cows are actually far more difficult to draw than you think. How many toes on the front does a cow have? It’s two, and they’ve got a little thing on the heel. And what do you call that bit of the cow? I think it’s called the withers.
The former UK Prime Minister has told TalkTV, the Rupert Murdoch-backed British television channel, that he spends his days drawing cattle after resigning in scandal last year.
In his first major TV interview since leaving office, Johnson sat down with his friend and colleague Nadine Dorries, the former UK Culture Secretary.
“At the moment I’ve got a project, which is to master the form of the cow,” he told Friday Night with Nadine in an exchange that bordered on bizarre.
Johnson continued: “Cows are actually far more difficult to draw than you think. How many toes on the front does a cow have? It’s two, and they’ve got a little thing on the heel. And what do you call that bit of the cow? I think it’s called the withers.
- 2/3/2023
- by Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
Following a slew of serving U.K. politicians nabbing high-profile TV jobs, media regulator Ofcom has clarified the rules around such a career move.
The regulatory body has confirmed that politicians are allowed to present TV and radio shows but cautioned “there are some exceptions.”
In particular, because of Ofcom’s rules about impartiality, it dictates that serving politicians are not allowed to participate in any news programs as an anchor, interviewer or reporter “unless, exceptionally, it is editorially justified.” If it is the case a justification can be made, the audience must still be alerted to the politician’s political allegiance.
That leaves the political class free to host pretty much anything outside of news, including current affairs shows, although Ofcom warns: “they must make sure a range of views are reflected in their programme.” The only caveat is if they’re standing in an election or about to,...
The regulatory body has confirmed that politicians are allowed to present TV and radio shows but cautioned “there are some exceptions.”
In particular, because of Ofcom’s rules about impartiality, it dictates that serving politicians are not allowed to participate in any news programs as an anchor, interviewer or reporter “unless, exceptionally, it is editorially justified.” If it is the case a justification can be made, the audience must still be alerted to the politician’s political allegiance.
That leaves the political class free to host pretty much anything outside of news, including current affairs shows, although Ofcom warns: “they must make sure a range of views are reflected in their programme.” The only caveat is if they’re standing in an election or about to,...
- 2/2/2023
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety Film + TV
Everyone knows Russell T Davies is a great writer. Far fewer know he’s a great talker. By the time I meet Davies at a Soho hotel to discuss his latest TV drama, Nolly, a tremendously entertaining three-parter about Crossroads star Noele Gordon, the 59-year-old Welshman has been gabbing all day. He still has plenty of words for the conservative government, however, and their recently abandoned plan to privatise Channel 4. “We were all played by the right wing for a year defending Channel 4 and then they dropped it,” he booms, sounding both furious and friendly. “We were just like yo-yos.”
It’s fair to say that Davies has a vested interest in the subject. He worked with the not-for-profit channel on Queer As Folk, his seminal 1990s gay drama that was rebooted in the US for a second time last year, and It’s a Sin, his gut-wrenching series about...
It’s fair to say that Davies has a vested interest in the subject. He worked with the not-for-profit channel on Queer As Folk, his seminal 1990s gay drama that was rebooted in the US for a second time last year, and It’s a Sin, his gut-wrenching series about...
- 2/1/2023
- by Nick Levine
- The Independent - TV
Nadine Dorries, a polarizing former culture secretary for Britain, is set to host a new Friday night talk show on conservative channel TalkTV.
Debuting on Feb. 3, Dorries, who is still a member of parliament (MP), will kick off her show with an exclusive one-on-one interview with former prime minister Boris Johnson, who resigned last July after a string of scandals.
Dorries was an ardent supporter of Johnson’s, and stuck by his side when most of the Pm’s former ministers had condemned his actions around “partygate” — a series of parties held at Downing Street during Britain’s lockdowns.
The weekly, hour-long show will be called “Friday Night with Nadine,” and is billed as an “irreverent look at the week’s news and a lively mix of topical chat with guests from the world of politics, culture and sport.”
Dorries’ time as culture secretary was fraught with a series of gaffes.
Debuting on Feb. 3, Dorries, who is still a member of parliament (MP), will kick off her show with an exclusive one-on-one interview with former prime minister Boris Johnson, who resigned last July after a string of scandals.
Dorries was an ardent supporter of Johnson’s, and stuck by his side when most of the Pm’s former ministers had condemned his actions around “partygate” — a series of parties held at Downing Street during Britain’s lockdowns.
The weekly, hour-long show will be called “Friday Night with Nadine,” and is billed as an “irreverent look at the week’s news and a lively mix of topical chat with guests from the world of politics, culture and sport.”
Dorries’ time as culture secretary was fraught with a series of gaffes.
- 1/27/2023
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
Matt Hancock was paid £320,000 to appear on last season’s I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here and a further £45,000 for Channel 4’s Celebrity Sas: Who Dares Wins, UK parliamentary documents have revealed.
UK government rules obliged the former Health Secretary to report in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests that he received the money from I’m a Celebrity producer Lifted Entertainment on 14 December – two weeks after filming ended – after appearing on the show for 30 days. Hancock has previously said he donated £10,000 of the fee to charity.
He received the £45,000 from Sas maker Minnow Films via Shine Talent Management on 28 October and the Channel 4 show will air later this year.
The disgraced former Health Secretary, who resigned in 2021 after footage emerged of him breaking his own Covid-19 guidance after having an affair with an aide, sparked debate up and down the country following his I’m a Celebrity appearance,...
UK government rules obliged the former Health Secretary to report in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests that he received the money from I’m a Celebrity producer Lifted Entertainment on 14 December – two weeks after filming ended – after appearing on the show for 30 days. Hancock has previously said he donated £10,000 of the fee to charity.
He received the £45,000 from Sas maker Minnow Films via Shine Talent Management on 28 October and the Channel 4 show will air later this year.
The disgraced former Health Secretary, who resigned in 2021 after footage emerged of him breaking his own Covid-19 guidance after having an affair with an aide, sparked debate up and down the country following his I’m a Celebrity appearance,...
- 1/27/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Bradley Walsh has denied reports that The Larkins has been cancelled by ITV.
The Chase host stars opposite Joanna Scanlan as Pop Larkin in the channel’s adaptation of H E Bates’ novel The Darling Buds of May.
The series, which follows a family in rural Kent in the 1950s, made its debut in 2021. At the time, it divided critics, with The Independent’s Sean O’Grady calling it “a Brexit television abomination”.
Last week, reports emerged in The Sun claiming that the show was being axed after losing two million viewers between series one and two and alleged “cast disagreements” on set.
However, appearing on This Morning on Tuesday (10 January), Walsh vehemently denied the claims.
Walsh said that he’d “had a few calls” about the rumours which he said were attributed to “some problem with the viewing figures”.
“The viewing figures were absolutely fine, there was nothing wrong with the viewing figures,...
The Chase host stars opposite Joanna Scanlan as Pop Larkin in the channel’s adaptation of H E Bates’ novel The Darling Buds of May.
The series, which follows a family in rural Kent in the 1950s, made its debut in 2021. At the time, it divided critics, with The Independent’s Sean O’Grady calling it “a Brexit television abomination”.
Last week, reports emerged in The Sun claiming that the show was being axed after losing two million viewers between series one and two and alleged “cast disagreements” on set.
However, appearing on This Morning on Tuesday (10 January), Walsh vehemently denied the claims.
Walsh said that he’d “had a few calls” about the rumours which he said were attributed to “some problem with the viewing figures”.
“The viewing figures were absolutely fine, there was nothing wrong with the viewing figures,...
- 1/10/2023
- by Isobel Lewis
- The Independent - TV
Welcome back Insiders. Hope you’re feeling sufficiently rested and re-energized as the world of TV and film kicks back into gear. Jesse Whittock with you for the first edition of 2023, and we have plenty for you.
Channel (Not) 4 Sale
Channel 4’s London headquarters
“Better ways to secure sustainability”: Max Goldbart here reporting on a phenomenal week for the UK’s Channel 4, which is officially remaining in public hands after the government u-turned on a sale plan. Although we all knew it was coming, Channel 4 execs were simply delighted following first a leaked letter from Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan indicating she would prefer the Gogglebox network to remain public and then the official confirmation from 10 Downing Street the following day, in which Donelan said “there are better ways to secure sustainability.” The abrupt u-turn ends a difficult 18 months for Britain’s alternative broadcaster and puts to bed for...
Channel (Not) 4 Sale
Channel 4’s London headquarters
“Better ways to secure sustainability”: Max Goldbart here reporting on a phenomenal week for the UK’s Channel 4, which is officially remaining in public hands after the government u-turned on a sale plan. Although we all knew it was coming, Channel 4 execs were simply delighted following first a leaked letter from Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan indicating she would prefer the Gogglebox network to remain public and then the official confirmation from 10 Downing Street the following day, in which Donelan said “there are better ways to secure sustainability.” The abrupt u-turn ends a difficult 18 months for Britain’s alternative broadcaster and puts to bed for...
- 1/6/2023
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
Channel 4 boss Alex Mahon has said the government’s new plans for the “It’s a Sin” broadcaster spans “a decade or more” but that the spectre of privatization can never fully disappear for a public organization.
Speaking to Variety a mere hour after the U.K. government formally called off its plans to sell Channel 4, Mahon said: “This is a plan that takes us through a decade or more because there are big commitments here, particular around funding in the nations and regions and making a difference with young people and bringing people into the industry. Those aren’t things you can achieve in 10 minutes; we need time to achieve them.”
Mahon noted that Rishi Sunak’s government is “thinking about this for the medium to long term,” but that “they’ll always have the right as government, or as governments change, to look at these things — as they should have.
Speaking to Variety a mere hour after the U.K. government formally called off its plans to sell Channel 4, Mahon said: “This is a plan that takes us through a decade or more because there are big commitments here, particular around funding in the nations and regions and making a difference with young people and bringing people into the industry. Those aren’t things you can achieve in 10 minutes; we need time to achieve them.”
Mahon noted that Rishi Sunak’s government is “thinking about this for the medium to long term,” but that “they’ll always have the right as government, or as governments change, to look at these things — as they should have.
- 1/5/2023
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
Channel 4 CEO Alex Mahon has praised the “smart and sensible” UK Culture Secretary for leading the charge against privatization and revealed plans to allow the network to produce shows in-house are the brainchild of the government.
Speaking to Deadline just hours after Rishi Sunak’s Conservatives confirmed Channel 4 will remain in public hands, Mahon said the government “felt it was important to legislate for” the in-house proposal, which could see Channel 4 producing and owning the rights to its shows for the first time.
The plan has already proved controversial, with UK indie trade body Pact saying it is “disappointed” by a move that will take rights and therefore money away from its member base of hundreds of UK producers.
Mahon stressed that Channel 4’s alternative privatization proposal – unveiled last year with claims that a sale would lose the UK economy £3Bn (3.6Bn) over a decade – did not contain what...
Speaking to Deadline just hours after Rishi Sunak’s Conservatives confirmed Channel 4 will remain in public hands, Mahon said the government “felt it was important to legislate for” the in-house proposal, which could see Channel 4 producing and owning the rights to its shows for the first time.
The plan has already proved controversial, with UK indie trade body Pact saying it is “disappointed” by a move that will take rights and therefore money away from its member base of hundreds of UK producers.
Mahon stressed that Channel 4’s alternative privatization proposal – unveiled last year with claims that a sale would lose the UK economy £3Bn (3.6Bn) over a decade – did not contain what...
- 1/5/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
UK culture secretary Michelle Donelan dubbed the broadcaster a “linchpin of Britain’s booming creative industries”.
UK culture secretary Michelle Donelan has formally confirmed that Channel 4 will not be sold as she dubbed the broadcaster a “linchpin of Britain’s booming creative industries”.
The culture secretary finally called time on the drawn-out debate about the future ownership of the Public Broadcasting Service that she inherited from her predecessors Oliver Dowden and Nadine Dorries.
“Channel 4 is a British success story and a linchpin of our booming creative industries. After reviewing the business case and engaging with the relevant sectors I...
UK culture secretary Michelle Donelan has formally confirmed that Channel 4 will not be sold as she dubbed the broadcaster a “linchpin of Britain’s booming creative industries”.
The culture secretary finally called time on the drawn-out debate about the future ownership of the Public Broadcasting Service that she inherited from her predecessors Oliver Dowden and Nadine Dorries.
“Channel 4 is a British success story and a linchpin of our booming creative industries. After reviewing the business case and engaging with the relevant sectors I...
- 1/5/2023
- by Alex Farber Broadcast
- ScreenDaily
It’s official: the controversial plan to privatize U.K. network Channel 4 has been canceled.
The news was announced by the British culture secretary Michelle Donelan on Thursday, just a day after a letter of hers to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, in which she recommended against going ahead with the sale, was leaked.
The decision represents a dramatic U-turn by Sunak’s Conservative government to that of Boris Johnson, which was forging ahead with privatization proposals last year under then culture secretary Nadine Dorries.
“Channel 4 is a British success story and a linchpin of our booming creative industries” said Donelan, who has been in the post since September. “After reviewing the business case and engaging with the relevant sectors I have decided that Channel 4 should not be sold.”
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport said the broadcaster will remain in public ownership “but with greater commercial flexibility,...
The news was announced by the British culture secretary Michelle Donelan on Thursday, just a day after a letter of hers to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, in which she recommended against going ahead with the sale, was leaked.
The decision represents a dramatic U-turn by Sunak’s Conservative government to that of Boris Johnson, which was forging ahead with privatization proposals last year under then culture secretary Nadine Dorries.
“Channel 4 is a British success story and a linchpin of our booming creative industries” said Donelan, who has been in the post since September. “After reviewing the business case and engaging with the relevant sectors I have decided that Channel 4 should not be sold.”
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport said the broadcaster will remain in public ownership “but with greater commercial flexibility,...
- 1/5/2023
- by Alex Ritman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The UK government has confirmed that Channel 4 will not be sold.
The decision represents a dramatic u-turn from Rishi Sunak’s Conservatives, who had previously been pushing for privatization against the advice of 96 of respondents to a government consultation on the matter when Nadine Dorries was Culture Secretary.
Dorries’ successor Michelle Donelan has since examined the business case for Channel 4 remaining in public hands and recommended a sale not be taken forward, which was rubberstamped by 10 Downing Street.
“Channel 4 is a British success story and a linchpin of our booming creative industries” said Donelan. “After reviewing the business case and engaging with the relevant sectors I have decided that Channel 4 should not be sold.”
In news that was leaked yesterday and obtained by The News Agents journalist Lewis Goodall, Donelan has instead issued a “sustainability package” containing an “ambitious package of measures” that will see Channel 4 able to produce...
The decision represents a dramatic u-turn from Rishi Sunak’s Conservatives, who had previously been pushing for privatization against the advice of 96 of respondents to a government consultation on the matter when Nadine Dorries was Culture Secretary.
Dorries’ successor Michelle Donelan has since examined the business case for Channel 4 remaining in public hands and recommended a sale not be taken forward, which was rubberstamped by 10 Downing Street.
“Channel 4 is a British success story and a linchpin of our booming creative industries” said Donelan. “After reviewing the business case and engaging with the relevant sectors I have decided that Channel 4 should not be sold.”
In news that was leaked yesterday and obtained by The News Agents journalist Lewis Goodall, Donelan has instead issued a “sustainability package” containing an “ambitious package of measures” that will see Channel 4 able to produce...
- 1/5/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
The British film and TV industry breathed a collective sigh of relief today after the government signalled its intention to scrap a planned 1.2B sale of Channel 4, one of the crown jewels of UK broadcasting.
Deadline understands that UK ministers could formally announce a U-turn over Channel 4 privatization as soon as tomorrow, with the decision all-but rubber-stamped by Rishi Sunak, the prime minister.
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In a letter leaked to The News Agents, a daily podcast hosted by Emily Maitlis, UK culture secretary Michelle Donelan said: “Pursuing a sale at this point is not the right decision and there are better ways to secure Channel 4’s sustainability.
Deadline understands that UK ministers could formally announce a U-turn over Channel 4 privatization as soon as tomorrow, with the decision all-but rubber-stamped by Rishi Sunak, the prime minister.
Related Story Channel 4 Sale Off The Table After Culture Sec Tells Prime Minister: "There Are Better Ways To Secure Sustainability" Related Story Kelly Monteith Dies: Comedian & TV Host Known For Self-Titled BBC Series Was 80 Related Story 'Wednesday' Notches Second Week Atop Nielsen U.S. Streaming Chart With Record Viewership
In a letter leaked to The News Agents, a daily podcast hosted by Emily Maitlis, UK culture secretary Michelle Donelan said: “Pursuing a sale at this point is not the right decision and there are better ways to secure Channel 4’s sustainability.
- 1/4/2023
- by Jake Kanter and Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
The privatization of the U.K.’s Channel 4, which had become one of the most contentious issues in the British media over the last year with much of the creative industries fighting against the proposed sale, appears to have been scrapped.
In a letter to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak — dated Jan. 3 and leaked by the The News Agents podcast on Jan. 4 — culture secretary Michelle Donelan said the sale would be disruptive to the Channel 4 Corporation’s role in “supporting growth” in the independent TV sector, with a package of reforms suggested instead to support its sustainability.
“Last year’s consultation on C4C’s future ownership model identified risks to the corporation’s long-term sustainability. The view of my predecessor, and the government of the time, was that selling C4C was the right solution to meet these challenges. However, after reviewing the business case, I have concluded that...
In a letter to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak — dated Jan. 3 and leaked by the The News Agents podcast on Jan. 4 — culture secretary Michelle Donelan said the sale would be disruptive to the Channel 4 Corporation’s role in “supporting growth” in the independent TV sector, with a package of reforms suggested instead to support its sustainability.
“Last year’s consultation on C4C’s future ownership model identified risks to the corporation’s long-term sustainability. The view of my predecessor, and the government of the time, was that selling C4C was the right solution to meet these challenges. However, after reviewing the business case, I have concluded that...
- 1/4/2023
- by Alex Ritman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The proposed privatization of U.K. broadcaster Channel 4 has been scrapped, according to a letter from the country’s Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
The letter, dated Jan. 3 and leaked by The News Agents podcast on Jan. 4, instead proposes a package of reforms to support Channel 4’s long-term sustainability.
“Last year’s consultation on C4C’s future ownership model identified risks to the corporation’s long-term sustainability. The view of my predecessor, and the government of the time, was that selling C4C was the right solution to meet these challenges. However, after reviewing the business case, I have concluded that pursuing a sale at this point is not the right decision and there are better ways to secure C4C’s sustainability and that of the U.K. independent production sector,” Donelan wrote in the letter.
“Indeed, C4C’s role in supporting...
The letter, dated Jan. 3 and leaked by The News Agents podcast on Jan. 4, instead proposes a package of reforms to support Channel 4’s long-term sustainability.
“Last year’s consultation on C4C’s future ownership model identified risks to the corporation’s long-term sustainability. The view of my predecessor, and the government of the time, was that selling C4C was the right solution to meet these challenges. However, after reviewing the business case, I have concluded that pursuing a sale at this point is not the right decision and there are better ways to secure C4C’s sustainability and that of the U.K. independent production sector,” Donelan wrote in the letter.
“Indeed, C4C’s role in supporting...
- 1/4/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Channel 4 privatization is off the table.
UK Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan has written to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, according to a leaked letter published by The News Agents journalist Lewis Goodall on Twitter, which says “pursuing a sale at this point is not the right decision and there are better ways to secure Channel 4’s sustainability.”
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Donelan wrote the letter yesterday to “seek clearance from the Domestic and Economic Affairs Committee” for a sustainability package, with Sunak expected to greenlight the proposals as a formality.
Donelan, who has been in post since September, had been examining the business case for the sale,...
UK Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan has written to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, according to a leaked letter published by The News Agents journalist Lewis Goodall on Twitter, which says “pursuing a sale at this point is not the right decision and there are better ways to secure Channel 4’s sustainability.”
Related Story Channel 4's Scrapped Sale Sparks Widespread Relief, But Producers Fear Sting In Tail Related Story UK TV Ratings Bonanza: The Most-Watched Shows Of 2022 Related Story "A Chance To Change The Way We Think About The World": AI Robot To Deliver Channel 4 'Alternative Christmas Message'
Donelan wrote the letter yesterday to “seek clearance from the Domestic and Economic Affairs Committee” for a sustainability package, with Sunak expected to greenlight the proposals as a formality.
Donelan, who has been in post since September, had been examining the business case for the sale,...
- 1/4/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
New UK Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan has indicated she will take up the mantle of firebrand predecessor Nadine Dorries by insisting it is “impossible” to sustain the BBC license fee after 2027, while distancing herself from the former I’m a Celebrity… contestant’s views on impartiality.
Appearing for the first time in front of the UK’s Digital, Culture, Media & Sport Committee (Dcmsc), Donelan stressed that she will push on and seek alternatives to the fee that emerge from a review into the £159.50 (195) annual charge – the BBC’s funding model for the past century.
Questioned on what she would do if the review recommends no change to the funding model, Donelan said this would be “impossible” due to the fact that “increasing the license fee will further drive down” the number of people who pay the fee. It is currently frozen but will return to rising with inflation in two years’ time.
Appearing for the first time in front of the UK’s Digital, Culture, Media & Sport Committee (Dcmsc), Donelan stressed that she will push on and seek alternatives to the fee that emerge from a review into the £159.50 (195) annual charge – the BBC’s funding model for the past century.
Questioned on what she would do if the review recommends no change to the funding model, Donelan said this would be “impossible” due to the fact that “increasing the license fee will further drive down” the number of people who pay the fee. It is currently frozen but will return to rising with inflation in two years’ time.
- 12/6/2022
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
England European Cup-winning footballer Jill Scott won ITV‘s I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! last night but the nation’s eyes were trained on just one contestant, MP Matt Hancock, who came third in a final watched by a peak of 11.3M viewers.
Ratings data that has just come in shows the finale was one of the most watched UK TV broadcasts of this year so far, growing by more than 3M on last year’s final, which was shot in Wales not Australia. An average 10.4M watched the show across its 9 p.m.-10.30 p.m. GMT (1 p.m. – 2.30 p.m. Pst) runtime, with a peak of 11.3M.
Former Health Secretary Hancock’s controversial decision to partake in the show, which saw him immediately lose the Conservative Party whip, divided living rooms around the country, with some believing they were seeing a ‘personal’ side to...
Ratings data that has just come in shows the finale was one of the most watched UK TV broadcasts of this year so far, growing by more than 3M on last year’s final, which was shot in Wales not Australia. An average 10.4M watched the show across its 9 p.m.-10.30 p.m. GMT (1 p.m. – 2.30 p.m. Pst) runtime, with a peak of 11.3M.
Former Health Secretary Hancock’s controversial decision to partake in the show, which saw him immediately lose the Conservative Party whip, divided living rooms around the country, with some believing they were seeing a ‘personal’ side to...
- 11/28/2022
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
In the U.S., many of us who subscribe to five or more streaming services have grown tired of internet packages that bundle cable TV services we don't want or need. As streaming becomes more prevalent, UK households face their own kind of inconvenience, though it's not exactly new for them. On top of subscriptions, each household must pay an annual TV license fee to access broadcast television, which is currently set at £159 (189 in today's Usd) or face criminal prosecution. The fee, which funds the BBC, has become so controversial that earlier this year, UK Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries called to freeze it at the present rate and abolish it by 2027.
Other instances of the TV license fee facing such intense public scrutiny have been with respect to the programming that Bcc produces. I mean, if we were taxed to fund the Marvel Cinematic Universe instead of voluntarily handing over all our money to Disney,...
Other instances of the TV license fee facing such intense public scrutiny have been with respect to the programming that Bcc produces. I mean, if we were taxed to fund the Marvel Cinematic Universe instead of voluntarily handing over all our money to Disney,...
- 11/20/2022
- by Walter Roberts
- Slash Film
New U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak could drop plans to privatize public service broadcaster Channel 4, according to a report in the Financial Times.
“The decision to drop the sale of Channel 4 from the media bill has been signalled by Downing Street to industry and Whitehall,” the report said. The privatization plan had been floated during the tenure of Sunak’s predecessor Boris Johnson and carried forward by then Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries.
Sunak had “privately been sceptical of the case for prioritizing the Channel 4 privatization while he was chancellor,” the report said. However, during Sunak’s summer leadership campaign after the ouster of Johnson, after which Liz Truss briefly became Prime Minister, Sunak had supported privatization.
“Privatization will help Channel 4 to thrive in an age where they are also competing with Netflix, Amazon, Apple and many more — standing still is not an option,” Sunak’s spokesperson had said at the time.
“The decision to drop the sale of Channel 4 from the media bill has been signalled by Downing Street to industry and Whitehall,” the report said. The privatization plan had been floated during the tenure of Sunak’s predecessor Boris Johnson and carried forward by then Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries.
Sunak had “privately been sceptical of the case for prioritizing the Channel 4 privatization while he was chancellor,” the report said. However, during Sunak’s summer leadership campaign after the ouster of Johnson, after which Liz Truss briefly became Prime Minister, Sunak had supported privatization.
“Privatization will help Channel 4 to thrive in an age where they are also competing with Netflix, Amazon, Apple and many more — standing still is not an option,” Sunak’s spokesperson had said at the time.
- 11/4/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Former UK health secretary Matt Hancock will reportedly take part in the new series of ITV’s I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!, following the likes of Boy George, Seann Walsh and Mike Tindall into the jungle
“Matt is a sensational signing for the show as producers love a star with a story to tell – and they always hope they’ll spill the beans round the campfire,” an insider told The Sun.
“He’s the latest in a long line of figures from the political sphere, including MP Nadine Dorries, Stanley Johnson and MP Lembit Opik.”
The Conservative MP for West Suffolk was first elected in 2010 and served as head of the department of health under Theresa May and then Boris Johnson, finding himself at the centre of the storm when the Covid-19 pandemic first arrived on these shores in early 2020.
He was criticised over elements of...
“Matt is a sensational signing for the show as producers love a star with a story to tell – and they always hope they’ll spill the beans round the campfire,” an insider told The Sun.
“He’s the latest in a long line of figures from the political sphere, including MP Nadine Dorries, Stanley Johnson and MP Lembit Opik.”
The Conservative MP for West Suffolk was first elected in 2010 and served as head of the department of health under Theresa May and then Boris Johnson, finding himself at the centre of the storm when the Covid-19 pandemic first arrived on these shores in early 2020.
He was criticised over elements of...
- 11/4/2022
- by Joe Sommerlad
- The Independent - TV
Former UK health secretary Matt Hancock will reportedly take part in the new series of ITV’s I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!, following the likes of Boy George, Seann Walsh and Mike Tindall into the jungle
“Matt is a sensational signing for the show as producers love a star with a story to tell – and they always hope they’ll spill the beans round the campfire,” an insider told The Sun.
“He’s the latest in a long line of figures from the political sphere, including MP Nadine Dorries, Stanley Johnson and MP Lembit Opik.”
The Conservative MP for West Suffolk was first elected in 2010 and served as head of the department of health under Theresa May and then Boris Johnson, finding himself at the centre of the storm when the Covid-19 pandemic first arrived on these shores in early 2020.
He was criticised over elements of...
“Matt is a sensational signing for the show as producers love a star with a story to tell – and they always hope they’ll spill the beans round the campfire,” an insider told The Sun.
“He’s the latest in a long line of figures from the political sphere, including MP Nadine Dorries, Stanley Johnson and MP Lembit Opik.”
The Conservative MP for West Suffolk was first elected in 2010 and served as head of the department of health under Theresa May and then Boris Johnson, finding himself at the centre of the storm when the Covid-19 pandemic first arrived on these shores in early 2020.
He was criticised over elements of...
- 11/4/2022
- by Joe Sommerlad
- The Independent - TV
On the occasion of its 40th birthday, U.K. public service broadcaster Channel 4 has rebranded its VoD service All4 as Channel 4. The service used to be known as 4oD and it was renamed as All4 in 2015.
The rebranding, which will begin from spring 2023, is to “help audiences better navigate the abundance of choice in the digital world and find their favorite Channel 4 shows wherever and whenever they choose to watch content,” Channel 4 said in a statement. “All4 will change to ‘Channel 4 as Channel 4 becomes the first U.K. broadcaster to adopt one brand identity across its digital and linear channels as audiences increasingly no longer distinguish between digital and linear content. Channel 4’s entire portfolio of channels will also align with the Channel 4 brand.”
The rebranding comes as Channel 4 faces an existential crisis. Former U.K. Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries set in motion a process to privatize the organization, a move supported by new U.
The rebranding, which will begin from spring 2023, is to “help audiences better navigate the abundance of choice in the digital world and find their favorite Channel 4 shows wherever and whenever they choose to watch content,” Channel 4 said in a statement. “All4 will change to ‘Channel 4 as Channel 4 becomes the first U.K. broadcaster to adopt one brand identity across its digital and linear channels as audiences increasingly no longer distinguish between digital and linear content. Channel 4’s entire portfolio of channels will also align with the Channel 4 brand.”
The rebranding comes as Channel 4 faces an existential crisis. Former U.K. Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries set in motion a process to privatize the organization, a move supported by new U.
- 11/2/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Matt Hancock is not the first politician to enter the Australian jungle for I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here.
The new series, which begins on Sunday (6 November), will see the former health secretary, who resigned in 2021 after violating his own Covid regulations, join the new batch of contestants a few days in.
His participation in the series has been condemned not only by fans, but by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who said on Tuesday (1 November) that, rather than competing in a reality series, MPs “should be working hard for their constituents in the House or in their constituencies”.
But Hancock is not the first politician to have entered the jungle.
Metropolitan Police deputy assistant commissioner Brian Paddick kicked off the wave of MPs being asked to take part, signing up in 2008. He finished in seventh place. Former Labour MP and Mep Robert Kilroy-Silk also participated in that year’s series,...
The new series, which begins on Sunday (6 November), will see the former health secretary, who resigned in 2021 after violating his own Covid regulations, join the new batch of contestants a few days in.
His participation in the series has been condemned not only by fans, but by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who said on Tuesday (1 November) that, rather than competing in a reality series, MPs “should be working hard for their constituents in the House or in their constituencies”.
But Hancock is not the first politician to have entered the jungle.
Metropolitan Police deputy assistant commissioner Brian Paddick kicked off the wave of MPs being asked to take part, signing up in 2008. He finished in seventh place. Former Labour MP and Mep Robert Kilroy-Silk also participated in that year’s series,...
- 11/2/2022
- by Jacob Stolworthy
- The Independent - TV
Former UK health secretary Matt Hancock will reportedly take part in the new series of ITV’s I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!, following the likes of Boy George, Seann Walsh and Mike Tindall into the jungle
“Matt is a sensational signing for the show as producers love a star with a story to tell – and they always hope they’ll spill the beans round the campfire,” an insider told The Sun.
“He’s the latest in a long line of figures from the political sphere, including MP Nadine Dorries, Stanley Johnson and MP Lembit Opik.”
The Conservative MP for West Suffolk was first elected in 2010 and served as head of the department of health under Theresa May and then Boris Johnson, finding himself at the centre of the storm when the Covid-19 pandemic first arrived on these shores in early 2020.
He was criticised over elements of...
“Matt is a sensational signing for the show as producers love a star with a story to tell – and they always hope they’ll spill the beans round the campfire,” an insider told The Sun.
“He’s the latest in a long line of figures from the political sphere, including MP Nadine Dorries, Stanley Johnson and MP Lembit Opik.”
The Conservative MP for West Suffolk was first elected in 2010 and served as head of the department of health under Theresa May and then Boris Johnson, finding himself at the centre of the storm when the Covid-19 pandemic first arrived on these shores in early 2020.
He was criticised over elements of...
- 11/1/2022
- by Joe Sommerlad
- The Independent - TV
Former U.K. health secretary Matt Hancock has been suspended as a Conservative Party member of parliament for signing up to hit ITV reality show “I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!”
Conservative Party chief whip Simon Hart, who is in charge of party discipline, said: “Following a conversation with Matt Hancock, I have considered the situation and believe this is a matter serious enough to warrant suspension of the whip with immediate effect.”
Hancock served as heath secretary when the U.K. was in the throes of Covid-19. He was sacked for flouting his own lockdown rules.
The BBC, citing a source close to Hancock, said: “Matt doesn’t expect to serve in government again, so it’s an incredible opportunity for him to engage with the 12 million Brits who tune in every single night. Matt has told the whips in Parliament and he will use his time...
Conservative Party chief whip Simon Hart, who is in charge of party discipline, said: “Following a conversation with Matt Hancock, I have considered the situation and believe this is a matter serious enough to warrant suspension of the whip with immediate effect.”
Hancock served as heath secretary when the U.K. was in the throes of Covid-19. He was sacked for flouting his own lockdown rules.
The BBC, citing a source close to Hancock, said: “Matt doesn’t expect to serve in government again, so it’s an incredible opportunity for him to engage with the 12 million Brits who tune in every single night. Matt has told the whips in Parliament and he will use his time...
- 11/1/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Former UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock has been suspended as a Conservative MP for being a contestant on I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here!.
According to the BBC, Tory whips have been unimpressed with the news this morning that he will be one of the 12 contestants on the Ant and Dec-hosted 2022 edition – which is filmed in Australia – and have taken away the whip.
Conservative Chief Whip Simon Hart said: “Following a conversation with Matt Hancock, I have considered the situation and believe this is a matter serious enough to warrant suspension of the whip with immediate effect.”
Hancock was not revealed on the contestant roster issued this morning for I’m a Celebrity but is understood to be one of two contestants who will join the show slightly later than episode one, along with comedian and former Strictly Come Dancing contestant Seann Walsh. I’m a Celebrity...
According to the BBC, Tory whips have been unimpressed with the news this morning that he will be one of the 12 contestants on the Ant and Dec-hosted 2022 edition – which is filmed in Australia – and have taken away the whip.
Conservative Chief Whip Simon Hart said: “Following a conversation with Matt Hancock, I have considered the situation and believe this is a matter serious enough to warrant suspension of the whip with immediate effect.”
Hancock was not revealed on the contestant roster issued this morning for I’m a Celebrity but is understood to be one of two contestants who will join the show slightly later than episode one, along with comedian and former Strictly Come Dancing contestant Seann Walsh. I’m a Celebrity...
- 11/1/2022
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Matt Hancock has joined the cast of the 2022 series of I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!
The MP, who resigned as health secretary last year after violating his own Covid regulations by having an affair with aide Gina Coladangelo, is said to be entering the jungle as a bombshell contestant on the ITV show alongside comedian Seann Walsh.
The will be joining the cast of 10 contestants already confirmed by ITV, including Boy George and Mike Tindall.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s official spokesperson said: “The Pm believes that at a challenging time for the country, MPs should be working hard for their constituents in the House or in their constituencies.
“The public when they elect their MPs, expect them to work hard for their constituency.”
They said it was “unlikely” that Sunak would be watching I’m a Celebrity to see how Hancock gets on.
Chief Whip...
The MP, who resigned as health secretary last year after violating his own Covid regulations by having an affair with aide Gina Coladangelo, is said to be entering the jungle as a bombshell contestant on the ITV show alongside comedian Seann Walsh.
The will be joining the cast of 10 contestants already confirmed by ITV, including Boy George and Mike Tindall.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s official spokesperson said: “The Pm believes that at a challenging time for the country, MPs should be working hard for their constituents in the House or in their constituencies.
“The public when they elect their MPs, expect them to work hard for their constituency.”
They said it was “unlikely” that Sunak would be watching I’m a Celebrity to see how Hancock gets on.
Chief Whip...
- 11/1/2022
- by Ellie Harrison
- The Independent - TV
Exclusive: Lyse Doucet, the BBC’s international news supremo, has said she felt she was “fighting for the license fee” when broadcasting for weeks on end in Ukraine earlier this year, as she opened up about covering warzones, “painful” World Service cuts and the digital news revolution.
Doucet, the Chief International Correspondent who has been reporting from conflicts for decades, sat down with Deadline for a rare interview earlier this month in which she passionately defended the BBC and spoke of how the early days of the Ukraine war felt like a defining moment for the corporation’s existential future.
“During those days we felt like we were fighting for the future of the license fee,” said Doucet, as Rishi Sunak’s new government ponders a review into the funding model, which was due to start around the time Boris Johnson stood down as Prime Minister several months ago.
“Every day,...
Doucet, the Chief International Correspondent who has been reporting from conflicts for decades, sat down with Deadline for a rare interview earlier this month in which she passionately defended the BBC and spoke of how the early days of the Ukraine war felt like a defining moment for the corporation’s existential future.
“During those days we felt like we were fighting for the future of the license fee,” said Doucet, as Rishi Sunak’s new government ponders a review into the funding model, which was due to start around the time Boris Johnson stood down as Prime Minister several months ago.
“Every day,...
- 10/27/2022
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
New prime mininister reappoints culture secretary after she backed his leadership bid
Culture secretary Michelle Donelan has retained her job following newly-appointed UK prime minister Rishi Sunak’s cabinet reshuffle.
BBC licence-fee sceptic Donelan was appointed by short-lived leader Liz Truss on 6 September, with some speculation that she may have been ousted following the departure of the former prime minister.
However Sunak, who became prime minister yesterday, has opted to keep her in post after she was among the MPs to endorse him during his second leadership bid.
Other potential candidates reportedly under consideration for the post according to The Times...
Culture secretary Michelle Donelan has retained her job following newly-appointed UK prime minister Rishi Sunak’s cabinet reshuffle.
BBC licence-fee sceptic Donelan was appointed by short-lived leader Liz Truss on 6 September, with some speculation that she may have been ousted following the departure of the former prime minister.
However Sunak, who became prime minister yesterday, has opted to keep her in post after she was among the MPs to endorse him during his second leadership bid.
Other potential candidates reportedly under consideration for the post according to The Times...
- 10/26/2022
- by Ellie Kahn Broadcast¬Alex Farber Broadcast
- ScreenDaily
Former WWE marketing manager Michelle Donelan has been reappointed UK Culture Secretary, with responsibility for the future of the BBC and Channel 4.
Donelan has in the past few minutes headed into new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s 10 Downing Street home, where she was quickly re-given the job she has held for the past few weeks under Liz Truss’ leadership. Truss resigned in disgrace last week and was officially replaced by Sunak today, who promised he will “unite the country with actions not words.”
Related Story "Mistakes Were Made" By Liz Truss Government, Says New British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Who Promises To Unite The Country "Not With Words But With Actions" Related Story 'Doctor Who' Moves To Disney+ Outside UK And Ireland Via BBC-Disney Branded Television Partnership Related Story "Am I Allowed To Be This Gleeful?": BBC News Presenter Taken Off Air & Corporation Investigating Following Boris Johnson...
Donelan has in the past few minutes headed into new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s 10 Downing Street home, where she was quickly re-given the job she has held for the past few weeks under Liz Truss’ leadership. Truss resigned in disgrace last week and was officially replaced by Sunak today, who promised he will “unite the country with actions not words.”
Related Story "Mistakes Were Made" By Liz Truss Government, Says New British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Who Promises To Unite The Country "Not With Words But With Actions" Related Story 'Doctor Who' Moves To Disney+ Outside UK And Ireland Via BBC-Disney Branded Television Partnership Related Story "Am I Allowed To Be This Gleeful?": BBC News Presenter Taken Off Air & Corporation Investigating Following Boris Johnson...
- 10/25/2022
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Rishi Sunak is to become the UK’s next Prime Minister, the third in three months.
The news was confirmed minutes ago, as the former Chancellor of the Exchequer became the only Conservative politician to draw the support of 100 or more party MPs and qualify to run for the country’s top political job, following the resignation of Liz Truss. Sunak was nominated by 193 MPs.
Penny Mourdant, the only other MP to seek office, was unable to hit the support threshold, making Sunak the de facto winner.
Sunak becomes the first Person of Colour to lead the UK.
Sunak will replace Truss later this week. She unceremoniously resigned last week after a disastrous spell as Pm, during which the pound crashed and she was forced to almost completely backtrack on her economic plans against a chorus of disapproval. Truss is by far and away the shortest serving UK Prime Minister in history.
The news was confirmed minutes ago, as the former Chancellor of the Exchequer became the only Conservative politician to draw the support of 100 or more party MPs and qualify to run for the country’s top political job, following the resignation of Liz Truss. Sunak was nominated by 193 MPs.
Penny Mourdant, the only other MP to seek office, was unable to hit the support threshold, making Sunak the de facto winner.
Sunak becomes the first Person of Colour to lead the UK.
Sunak will replace Truss later this week. She unceremoniously resigned last week after a disastrous spell as Pm, during which the pound crashed and she was forced to almost completely backtrack on her economic plans against a chorus of disapproval. Truss is by far and away the shortest serving UK Prime Minister in history.
- 10/24/2022
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
Former UK Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries has been strong criticized by a British government report over her claims a Channel 4 documentary used actors.
The Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee’s special report into Dorries’ comments about fakery in reality show Tower Block of Commons considered why she had not reconsidered evidence provided at a previous political committee that she could not prove.
The report today published scathing findings that suggest she had used the situation “to traduce the reputation of Channel 4.”
Dorries, who was replaced as Culture Secretary last month as Liz Truss became Prime Minister, is a long-time critic of Channel 4 and advocated selling the government-owned broadcaster into private hands. However, she herself had appeared in the program.
In a statement today, Dcms Committee Chair Julian Knight MP said: “We recognise that those giving evidence will occasionally make mistakes, but it is vitally important for the integrity...
The Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee’s special report into Dorries’ comments about fakery in reality show Tower Block of Commons considered why she had not reconsidered evidence provided at a previous political committee that she could not prove.
The report today published scathing findings that suggest she had used the situation “to traduce the reputation of Channel 4.”
Dorries, who was replaced as Culture Secretary last month as Liz Truss became Prime Minister, is a long-time critic of Channel 4 and advocated selling the government-owned broadcaster into private hands. However, she herself had appeared in the program.
In a statement today, Dcms Committee Chair Julian Knight MP said: “We recognise that those giving evidence will occasionally make mistakes, but it is vitally important for the integrity...
- 10/20/2022
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
The BBC turns 100 today and it appears the centenary is helping to build bridges between the UK public and the Conservative government — at least in the short term.
Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan struck a conciliatory tone in a statement released in the past hour noting the anniversary, pointing to several achievements from the BBC’s history and its outsized impact on the world beyond the UK.
“Since the first BBC broadcast hit the airwaves 100 years ago, few could have imagined that BBC broadcasting history would become British history,” she wrote, while also pointing to shows such as Doctor Who and classic sitcom Only Fools and Horses as cultural milestones in the UK.
Donelan said the BBC “became a crucial method for keeping up morale” during World War II, adding: “Now, as Russia targets the media in Ukraine, the BBC has once again stepped up to serve war-torn Europe.
She referenced...
Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan struck a conciliatory tone in a statement released in the past hour noting the anniversary, pointing to several achievements from the BBC’s history and its outsized impact on the world beyond the UK.
“Since the first BBC broadcast hit the airwaves 100 years ago, few could have imagined that BBC broadcasting history would become British history,” she wrote, while also pointing to shows such as Doctor Who and classic sitcom Only Fools and Horses as cultural milestones in the UK.
Donelan said the BBC “became a crucial method for keeping up morale” during World War II, adding: “Now, as Russia targets the media in Ukraine, the BBC has once again stepped up to serve war-torn Europe.
She referenced...
- 10/18/2022
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
Dwayne Johnson has responded to his former claims that he would “100 per cent consider” running for the US presidency.
The 50-year-old Moana star’s interest in the position began as early as 2017.
At the time, he had told Variety that he would “100 per cent consider” running.
In a 2021 interview with Vanity Fair, Johnson said that he had conducted “a small amount of research and analysis to see” what a future presidential campaign might look like.
However, on a recent appearance on CBS’s Sunday Morning, Johnson said he is no longer considering a presidential run.
“It’s off the table. Yes. It is off the table,” the actor verified before clarifying: “I love our country and everyone in it.”
“I also love being a daddy. And that’s the most important thing to me is being a daddy, number one, especially during this time, this critical time in my daughters’ lives,...
The 50-year-old Moana star’s interest in the position began as early as 2017.
At the time, he had told Variety that he would “100 per cent consider” running.
In a 2021 interview with Vanity Fair, Johnson said that he had conducted “a small amount of research and analysis to see” what a future presidential campaign might look like.
However, on a recent appearance on CBS’s Sunday Morning, Johnson said he is no longer considering a presidential run.
“It’s off the table. Yes. It is off the table,” the actor verified before clarifying: “I love our country and everyone in it.”
“I also love being a daddy. And that’s the most important thing to me is being a daddy, number one, especially during this time, this critical time in my daughters’ lives,...
- 10/7/2022
- by Inga Parkel
- The Independent - Film
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