Carol Vorderman quits BBC Radio Wales show over new social media guidelines
Carol Vorderman has announced she is leaving her BBC radio show because she is “not prepared to lose my voice” after the corporation introduced new social media guidelines.
The 62-year-old former Countdown star has had a Saturday morning show on BBC Radio Wales for five years.
Vorderman has been vocal in her criticism of the Government on social media and has had several arguments on X, formerly Twitter, with Tory MPs.
In a statement, she said: “The BBC recently introduced new social media guidelines, which I respect.
“However, despite my show being light-hearted with no political content, it was explained to me that, as it is a weekly show in my name, the new guidelines would apply to all and any content that I post all year round.
“Since those non-negotiable changes to my radio contract were made, I’ve ultimately found that I’m not prepared to lose my voice on social media, change who I am, or lose the ability to express the strong beliefs I hold about the political turmoil this country finds itself in.
“My decision has been to continue to criticise the current UK Government for what it has done to the country which I love – and I’m not prepared to stop. I was brought up to fight for what I believe in, and I will carry on.
“Consequently I have now breached the new guidelines and BBC Wales management have decided I must leave. We each must make our decisions.
“I’m sad to have to leave the wonderful friends I’ve made at Radio Wales. I wish them, and all of our listeners, all the love in the world. We laughed a lot, and we will miss each other dearly.
“But, for now, another interesting chapter begins.”
Banned
Under the BBC’s new social media guidelines, presenters on flagship programmes including Match Of The Day (MOTD) and The Apprentice have been banned from making attacks on political parties.
The corporation said the guidance does not include contributors, pundits, judges or guest hosts but has put through additional guidance for freelancers along with those not working in news, current affairs or factual journalism production.
In September, the broadcaster said that these type of employees “must not bring the BBC into disrepute”, are required to be respectful in public and take care when engaging with public debate.
The new guidelines followed a row over MOTD presenter Gary Lineker comparing the language used by the Conservative Government to promote its asylum plans to 1930s Germany on X which led to him briefly not presenting the show, a boycott from sports staff and a social media review.
Vorderman has posted a number of critical remarks about Johnny Mercer’s performance as veterans’ affairs minister.
The pair have had several public arguments and he has referred to her on X as a “deeply unpleasant person”.
In March, Vorderman called on women’s minister Maria Caulfield to resign after she claimed she could not “be bothered to turn up” to a committee hearing about the menopause.
In September, she is said to have deleted a number of posts about Conservative chairman Greg Hands.
Mr Hands had called on her to apologise for what he called “defamatory and damaging” tweets about his involvement in a lifestyle firm being awarded a £25.8 million personal protective equipment contract in 2020.
Writing on X, Vorderman said she was “happy to accept Mr Hands’ assurance that his role in the process was simply to refer the approach… (and) there was no impropriety on his part”.
However, when Michael Gove was education secretary more than a decade ago, Vorderman was announced as the head of a maths taskforce.
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Well done to Carol for not being silenced. She is an amazing voice calling out the Tories for the total mess they have made of our lives during the worst of the pandemic and continue to do every day!
A sad thing to see the BBC become such a political car crash. She rightly calls out the hypocrisy of this government and highlights the people that are taking the UK for mug. The BBC are not doing that, even in Wales.
Despite the political bent there, we continue to let the government wreck an excellent organisation that is the BBC. Especially if we vote the Cons back to power.
I wish her all the best for the future.
I’m sad to see Carol leaving BBC Wales.She is exactly what’s needed and I take my hat off to her for standing by her principles….if only more would do that.
Someone in the media prepared to stand by their principles, and continue to call out this corrupt bunch of tory sex pests, Just imagine if our political journalists or the BBC had as much integrity,
And yet tory MPs and rightwing nutjobs can continue peddling their vitriol and nonsense via GBeebies.
The BBC has become an absolute disgrace, the only thing you can assume to be accurate & unbiased are the time pips.
My liking of, and respect for, Carol Vorderman has gone up. I’m really proud of her for sticking to her principles.
The bbc likes to think of itself as impartial, honest and respected but everyone I know would disagree.
For this Lady i have the utmost admiration she is very well educated Women unlike the Low life SCUM Tories she CRITICISED stick to your principles something tories do not have
BBC doesn’t want a left leaning opinion in her own space, outside work. But happy to showcase Farage on its channel so often. Personal opinions as long as not hate on social media, should be nothing to do with them.