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Culture

Dr Who writer Russell T Davies brands Tory minister Nadine Dorries a ‘f***ing idiot’

08 Oct 2021 4 minute read
Nadine Dorries picture by Chris McAndrew (CC BY 3.0). Russel T Davies outside Cardiff Central railway station, picture by Tony Hasall (CC BY 2.0).

Dr Who screenwriter Russell T Davies has launched an extraordinary attack on the Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries, branding her a “f***ing idiot”.

The renowned Welsh dramatist has warned that the UK Government wants to “control culture” after Dorries’ made what has been interpreted as a threat to the public funding of the BBC, following her appointment in Boris Johnson’s reshuffle.

Davies also criticised Dorries over her claim that there was “nepotism” at the BBC, saying, she “talked about the BBC having nepotism when she employed her own daughter.”

The cabinet minister told a fringe event at the Conservative Party Conference that she didn’t know if the BBC would “still be here” in a decade in response to a question about its funding.

Dorries, who controls the funding to Welsh-language broadcaster S4C, also accused the BBC of a “snobbish approach” and a “lack of impartiality”.

Russell T Davies, who also wrote the hit Channel 4 series, It’s a Sin, said: “The woman’s an idiot, a big f***ing idiot. I’m here to talk about the threat of public funding and the threat to public service broadcasting.”

He also criticised the UK Government for its handling of Channel 4, saying: “The threat that Channel 4 is under is even greater.”

When asked if he believed Channel 4 would be privatised by the Conservative government, Davies said: “It’s doomed, nothing. It’s happened. It’s a fact, the Government has decided.

“Your loss, my loss, our loss and they’ll just give us some more bread and circuses to take our minds off it.”

In response to being asked if the UK Government cares about culture, he said: “I think they care very much about controlling it. They are doing everything to change voting, rules. They’re doing everything to get in power and stay in power.”

‘Ally of Boris Johnson’

Dorries, who voted against equal marriage, is a staunch ally of Boris Johnson.

She once made headlines after hitting out at former Tory Prime Minister David Cameron and his then Chancellor George Osborne, describing them as “arrogant posh boys who don’t know the price of milk”.

She had the whip removed by the Conservative Party in 2012 for appearing on I’m a Celebrity. During her time on the show, she got her teeth into life in the jungle by chomping on a camel’s toe, a lamb’s testicle, and an ostrich’s anus in a stomach-churning Bushtucker Trial.

After partaking in the challenge, she said: “I actually feel a bit sick now, but I’m really glad I did it.”

She has regularly criticised the BBC, claiming it is institutionally skewed to the left.

In 2018 she tweeted that it was “a biased leftwing organisation which is seriously failing in its political representation, from the top down”.

In 2014 she wrote a blogpost about the licence fee, saying “a tax on the ownership of a television is a completely outdated concept”.

In a 2017 tweet which was widely recirculated after her new job was announced , Dorries said: “Leftwing snowflakes are killing comedy, tearing down historic statues, removing books from universities, dumbing down panto, removing Christ from Christmas and suppressing free speech. Sadly, it must be true, history does repeat itself. It will be music next.”

‘Apparently I’m racist’

In 2013 she tweeted: “Apparently I’m racist because I think Chuck [Chuka] Umunna looks like Chris Eubank? What would I be if I said he looked like someone who was white??”

The UK Government has recently said that it planning to make it a legal requirement that public service broadcasters – which include S4C and BBC Wales – produce “distinctly British” programmes.

The then media minister John Whittingdale told a Royal Television Society conference that he was planning to “talk to Ofcom about how to make the obligation of Britishness work”.

Broadcast in the UK is state-regulated by Ofcom, which has the legal powers to fine a channel or withdraw its license to broadcast if it breaks Ofcom’s government-approved broadcasting code.

“So in our upcoming White Paper, I intend to include proposals that will expand the remit of public service broadcasters, so that it includes a requirement for them to produce ‘distinctively British’ content,” John Whittingdale said in comments reported by i.


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Dave
Dave
2 years ago

this RT Davies I love

Gareth Wyn Jones
Gareth Wyn Jones
2 years ago
Reply to  Dave

Andrew ‘Real Trump’ Davies we do not love

Gareth
Gareth
2 years ago

Didn’t something similar happen during the 1930s in Germany with the media.

Kerry Davies
Kerry Davies
2 years ago
Reply to  Gareth

What good are artists?

The best thing I could come up with was what I call the canary in the coal mine theory of the arts. This theory says that artists are useful to society because they are so sensitive. They are super-sensitive. They keel over like canaries in poison coal mines long before more robust types realize that there is any danger whatsoever.”-Kurt Vonnegut

As a noted anti-fascist he was referring to the period you quote.

Mark
Mark
2 years ago

nothing extraordinary about that comment, she is a grade A f***ing idiot.

Gareth Wyn Jones
Gareth Wyn Jones
2 years ago
Reply to  Mark

Even by the general standard of these arrogant ignorant philistines she is exceptional

Y Cymro
Y Cymro
2 years ago

Russell T Davies is very observant regarding Nadine Dorries. Only the Tory party would reward a woman with zero charisma & ability.

Erisian
Erisian
2 years ago
Reply to  Y Cymro

Be fair, the producers of IAC-GMOOH thought she had at least as much charisma as all the other non-ebrities they take pity on.
I’m not disputing her lack of ability to do anything other than suck-up to those with power.

Huw Davies
Huw Davies
2 years ago
Reply to  Y Cymro

I’m getting a red message saying I’ve already voted for this comment. I haven’t! I’ve only just looked at it a few seconds ago. ADMINISTRATORS SORT THIS OUT

JohnTyisa
JohnTyisa
2 years ago

Was Russell possibly holding back in his criticism of the minister?

Kerry Davies
Kerry Davies
2 years ago

How do I loathe thee, let me count the ways. Russell T is the new Elizabeth Barrett Browning. Go for it boyo, give her both barrels.

Erisian
Erisian
2 years ago

If I recall correctly Nadine Doris thinks “I’m a celebrity get me out out of here” represents culture.
Not only was she AWOL to take part, but then ‘forgot’ to declare her earnings.
She also seems to have never watched the BBC when Labour was in power, or has conveniently forgotten that they held them to account in exactly the same way they attempt to comment on a Tory government
So not just a f***wit – but a forgetful barbarian and a cheat.
Or maybe just another Tory with the convenient memory of the disgraced.

Grayham Jones
2 years ago

We in wales have got to stop being little Englanders and and be proud to be welsh kick all English party’s out of wales that’s the Tories Labour and all Brexit party’s it’s time for a new wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 start fighting for your children and grandchildren future in wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

Hedda Mulgrew MSc (Econ)
Hedda Mulgrew MSc (Econ)
2 years ago
Reply to  Grayham Jones

We in Wales need to acknowledge that Nadine Dorries is one hot woman.

Kick out rude mysogynist writers who are rude to Nadine.

80% want the Union.

Kick out nationalist bigots. Give their houses to Scousers who have never had a Welsh cake

Undeb am Byth!

🇬🇧!

Observant
Observant
2 years ago
Reply to  Grayham Jones

Why capital letters for ‘Englanders’ and ‘English’ but lower-case for ‘Welsh’ and ‘Wales’? Time to rid ourselves of an inferiority complex.

Ex Plaid member
Ex Plaid member
2 years ago

I am remined of this from 2013 https://stumblingandmumbling.typepad.com/stumbling_and_mumbling/2013/09/celebrity.html. “the return to people’s efforts do not correspond to recognizable merit”

Phil
Phil
2 years ago

I’m sure she speaks highly of him, too!

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