Carol Vorderman quits BBC radio show due to new social media guidelines

Carol Vorderman has become the first presenter to leave her role at the BBC due to new social media guidelines.

The presenter, who regularly posts political posts on X/Twitter, announced she is leaving her Saturday morning radio show on BBC Radio Wales after five years – fittingly in a social media post.

“The BBC recently introduced new social media guidelines, which I respect. “But even though my program was light-hearted and had no political content, it was explained to me that since this is a weekly program on my behalf, the new guidelines apply to all content I publish throughout the year,” she wrote. .

“Since making these non-negotiable changes to my radio contract, I’ve finally realized that I’m not willing to lose my voice on social media, change who I am, or lose the ability to express my strong beliefs about the political upheaval don’t press [the UK] is located in.”

The BBC’s new social media guidelines were launched after Gary Lineker linked the government’s immigration policy with rhetoric in 1930s Germany in a tweet. Lineker was suspended and then quickly reinstated after many of his closest colleagues went on strike in protest at his treatment, leading to showpieces being taken off air.

The new rules state that the BBC’s most senior presenters should be allowed to “express their views on issues and policies outside journalism – including policy issues – but not be prevented from engaging in party politics or campaigning for activist organizations .”

Although Vorderman’s program is certainly not one of the BBC’s biggest and is not considered a “flagship” like football programs Game of the dayAnchored by Lineker, has a national reputation and its social performance is often highly critical of the current Conservative government.

BBC News reports the issue relates to the civility section of the policy, which states that all BBC staff and freelancers “have a duty to respect civility in public debate and not bring the BBC into disrepute”.

Vorderman sent a message to her 900,000 followers on Saturday

Although this is not technically an election campaign on behalf of a political party, the BBC seems to consider it a breach of the rules.

“My decision has been to continue criticizing the current British government for what it has done to the country I love, and I am not ready to stop,” Vorderman added in her message. “I was raised to fight for what I believe in and I will continue to do so.

“As a result, I have now breached the new guidelines and the management of BBC Wales have decided that I must leave. We all have to make our decisions.”

Vorderman is best known as the first maths genius on Channel 4’s long-running quiz show countdown, joined when the network first launched in 1982 and left in 2008, replaced by Rachel Riley. She has hosted the Pride of Britain Awards since 1999 and was a presenter on ITV Free running women and appeared on reality shows Be sure to come dance And I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!. She launched her BBC Wales radio show in 2018.

A BBC did not respond to a request for comment by the time of writing. In a statement on the BBC News website, a BBC spokesperson said: “Carol has been a presenter on BBC Radio Wales since 2018. We would like to thank her for her work and contribution to the station over the past five years.”