Evan Davis says it was ‘tough' for BBC boss to tell him to stop hosting podcast
BBC presenter Evan Davis has said the corporation's director-general said it was a 'very tough' decision for the broadcaster to stop the Dragons' Den star hosting a podcast about heat pumps.
Davis, who hosts the BBC Radio 4 current affairs programme PM and Dragons' Den, was told a few weeks ago that the Happy Heat Pump Podcast could be seen as a breach of rules around presenters speaking about issues of public policy.
It is believed that the podcast focusing on one possible solution to reducing carbon emissions, when responses to climate change are a matter of public policy, was the issue.
Sad news about the Happy Heat Pump Podcast.
Sorry to say, that after about 20 episodes, we're drawing it to a close at the request of the BBC which worries it may be seen as steering into areas of public controversy.
1/2https://t.co/6LgsdfjhtD
— Evan Davis (@EvanHD) April 22, 2025
Davis told the PA news agency on Wednesday that the BBC felt 'there's a danger he will be seen' as having a view on heat pumps and being in favour of the efficient heating technology in his capacity as a PM presenter.
'Perception matters, so they thought it was probably unhelpful,' he said.
'I just did it for the sort of fun of it, but they do always regulate what you do outside, and I totally accept that they have to make those judgments.'
Davis, who says he received no money for the podcast, and is not involved in any heat pump business arrangements, added that he is 'not bitter' about the decision.
However, he does not 'agree with this judgment, because I thought we were promoting an understanding of heat pumps, not promoting heat pumps'.
When asked if he thought political opposition to net zero was the issue, Davis said it was 'very much probably in the minds of the BBC'.
'If you don't like net zero, you're probably not going to think we need to install heat pumps, and … that's a perfectly legitimate point of view,' he said.
Davis admitted that heat pumps 'have been an issue that's been argued about, which is why the BBC didn't want me to do it'.
He also said there is an 'irony' that air conditioning has not been in the 'middle of a cultural war', unlike heat pumps, when the technology uses a similar refrigerant liquid to make rooms hot and cool.
Davis said: 'There were some conversations internally about it, and the decision was finally confirmed about two weeks ago, and we wanted to record a little mini last episode, just closing the series down so that's why we didn't announce it until yesterday.
'I actually chatted to (director-general of the BBC) Tim Davie about it, he thought it was very tough decision and a very finely balanced thing, we had really grown-up conversations about it, it's not like it's been a sort of horrendous process.
'Tim appreciated that for me, this was a bit of a hobby, and I am very interested in this transition, or this potential transition.'
Davis, who has heat pumps in his home in France, and a gas boiler in his London house, said he was not 'attacking the BBC decision'.
He added the BBC does not want him to take down the 20 or so episodes of the show, and the corporation has said they 'should talk about doing something for the BBC on heat pumps'.
Evans hosted the podcast with Bean Beanland, who works at the Heat Pump Federation (HPF), with the first episode being uploaded in December 2024 to YouTube.
In March, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said she will task shadow ministers with finding 'achievable solutions' to delivering cheap, clean energy after declaring that reaching net zero by 2050 is 'impossible'.
A BBC spokeswoman said: 'The BBC editorial guidelines are clear that anyone working for the BBC who does an external public speaking or writing engagement should not compromise the impartiality or integrity of the BBC or its content, or suggest that any part of the BBC endorses a third-party organisation, product, service or campaign.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Home secretary yet to agree deal days before spending review
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is the last minister yet to agree a funding deal with the Treasury before Wednesday's Spending Review, BBC News understands. Ministers have been locked in talks with Chancellor Rachel Reeves and her team ahead of the major financial statement, which sets budgets for government departments covering the next few years. Housing Secretary Angela Rayner reached a settlement on Sunday evening after "progress" in negotiations, the BBC has learned, but Cooper is holding out in talks also involving No 10. Police budgets are expected to get a real-terms increase in each of the next three years, but negotiations are ongoing about the wider Home Office budget. Earlier on Sunday, Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said police needed to "do their bit" towards reforming public services. Kyle told the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg that "every part of society was struggling" and that the chancellor was facing pressure from all departments for additional funding. He said the review would boost spending for schools and scientific research but declined to rule out a squeeze on policing. Earlier on Sunday, BBC News was told that Home Office ministers do not believe there is enough money to recruit the additional 13,000 new police and community support officers Labour promised in its manifesto. Kyle said the government had already provided an extra £1bn to the police, adding: "We are delivering investment in the police. "We expect the police to start embracing the change they need to do to do their bit for change as well." Spending Review: When is it and what might Rachel Reeves announce? Kyle also declined to guarantee that Rayner's housing department would be protected from budget cuts when asked about the government's plan to build 1.5 million new homes by the end of the parliament. But he added: "We made a manifesto commitment. We are absolutely laser-focused on delivering that." The last-minute talks come ahead of what is set to be a highly significant week for every part of government. It is expected there will be extra money for the NHS, with reports the Department for Health will receive increased funding. A substantial increase in funding for the NHS would come at the expense of other parts of government, as the chancellor seeks to meet her own fiscal rules, which are not to borrow to fund day-to-day spending, and for debt to be falling as a share of national income by 2029/30. But other parts of government will see their budgets squeezed as the chancellor seeks to meet her own fiscal rules, which are not to borrow to fund day-to-day spending, and for debt to be falling as a share of national income by 2029/30. Some elements of what will be included in the statement have emerged in recent days. On Sunday night the government announced £24m funding to boost artificial intelligence lessons in schools, as part of a wider £187m package to boost tech skills across the economy. Earlier on Sunday, the government announced an £86bn package for science and technology to help fund drug treatments and longer-lasting batteries. And on Wednesday, the chancellor unveiled a £15.6bn package to fund extensions to trams, trains and buses in Greater Manchester, the Midlands and the North East. Spending decisions come against the backdrop of a broad commitment to increase defence spending further to 3% by 2034. The government has already committed to increasing defence spending from 2.3% of gross domestic product (GDP) to 2.5% by 2027 - an extra £5bn a year - funded by a cut in the overseas aid budget. Reeves has previously confirmed the government will revise its controversial decision to limit Winter Fuel Payments to those in receipt of means-tested benefits. While the government is expected to share some information about who will receive the payment as part of the Spending Review, full details will not be released until the Budget later in the year. The Institute for Fiscal Studies has said "relatively modest" growth rates mean "sharp trade-offs are unavoidable". The think tank said the level of spending on health would dictate whether cuts were made to "unprotected" areas – those outside the NHS, defence and schools. Spending Review: Massive cheques from the chancellor for some - but what do totals hide? Labour tiptoed cautiously through its first year - will it now decide to escape its own shadow?
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
Senator 'Fighting for His Life' After He Was Shot While Speaking to Supporters at a Park, Teen Arrested
A senator and presidential hopeful was shot multiple times during an event with supporters at a public park on June 7 Miguel Uribe Turbay was speaking with locals in the Fontibón neighborhood of Colombia when the incident took place 'He is fighting for his life," the politician's wife said in a statementA presidential hopeful was shot multiple times while speaking to supporters at a public park over the weekend. Miguel Uribe Turbay, a senator part of Colombia's center-right Centro Democrático party, was attacked on Saturday, June 7, while in the Fontibón neighborhood of the country's capital Bogotá. A 15-year-old, who was carrying a Glock-style pistol, has since been arrested, according to CNN and the BBC, both of which cited the local attorney general's office. Colombia's president Gustavo Petro said during a television appearance later that day that it wasn't clear if the teen was acting alone, per The New York Times. According to an update shared on X by Turbay's wife, Maria Claudia Tarazona, the senator was "fighting for his life" following the shooting. She thanked his supporters for their "solidarity" and "prayers" in a later statement on Sunday, June 8, writing that updates about his health would be shared by the hospital. 'He came out well from the surgery,' his wife later told reporters, per CNN, which cited the Agence France-Presse (AFP). 'He fought the first battle and fought it well. He is fighting for his life.' Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá, the hospital where Turbay was admitted, announced in a statement on June 8 that the politician was treated with procedures on his head and his left thigh and remains in intensive care. The hospital called his condition "extremely serious." The BBC reported that Turbay was shot three times on June 7, including twice in the head. Turbay was speaking to supporters at the park over the weekend when loud bangs rang out. He fell to the ground after appearing to be shot from behind, according to widely shared footage from the scene. Later footage showed supporters assisting and carrying the presidential candidate, who appeared to be covered in blood, as he was placed near the hood of a white car. At least three other people were also shot at the park, including a 20-year-old man, a 36-year-old woman and a 15-year-old, the Secretaría de Salud de Bogotá said. Bogota Mayor Carlos Fernando Galán said on June 8, per CNN, that Turbay has since entered 'the critical hours' of recovery following his own procedures. President Petro added during his broadcast on June 7 that "no resource should be spared" when tracking down those responsible for the shooting. "Not a single peso," he said, per the Times, adding that Turbay's security would be investigated for protocol failures. Eyewitness Victor Mosquera told reporters outside of the hospital that he was near the senator during the shooting and still had blood on his clothing while outside of the hospital, per the Times. 'Everyone was screaming and running,' he said, adding, "When I turned around, I saw Miguel lying next to me.' Pedro Sánchez, Colombia's defense minister, has since announced on X that a reward is being offered of up to 3 billion Colombian pesos — roughly $728,000 — for more information. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Yahoo
Marcel Ophuls, maker of The Sorrow and the Pity, which examined French collaboration with the Nazis
Marcel Ophuls, who has died aged 97, was a German-born documentary-maker who fled his homeland in the 1930s and spent much of his career interrogating the various legacies of the Second World War; his international breakthrough, the landmark The Sorrow and the Pity (Le Chagrin et la Pitié, 1969), revealed the extent to which his adopted France had collaborated with the Nazis. The son of the German-Jewish director Max Ophuls – known for such elaborate melodramas as La Ronde (1950) – Marcel began his career in film drama but achieved greater traction with complex, rigorous, meticulously edited non-fiction work. In documentaries such as The Memory of Justice (1976) and Hôtel Terminus (1988), the filmmaker set multiple testimonies side by side, sometimes corroborating, often contradicting, always inviting the spectator to shake any passivity and judge for themselves. In The Sorrow and the Pity, Ophuls spent four and a half hours of screen time – and many more hours of shooting – staking out the city of Clermont-Ferrand 'to analyse four years of collective destiny'. Patiently hearing from residents of all walks of life, the film picked insistently away at the Gaullist myth of a country united against an occupier, instead revealing two Frances at odds with one another – one resisting, the other collaborating. In France, Sorrow was denounced by conservative politicians as 'a prosecutorial film' and initially rejected for both theatrical and television distribution. After much legal wrangling, it finally opened in 1971, earning an Oscar nomination the following year, but it did not air on French television until 1981; a station director said the film had 'destroyed myths the French people still needed'. Ophuls subsequently made films on Vietnam (The Harvest of My Lai, 1970) and the Irish Troubles (A Sense of Loss, 1972), though the latter was rejected by the BBC. His personal favourite, The Memory of Justice, revisited the Nuremberg trials in the context of more recent conflicts in Algeria and Vietnam, though the project was again beset by lengthy and expensive legal challenges; Ophuls filed for bankruptcy shortly thereafter and spent a decade on the lecture circuit. He made a triumphant return, however, with the Oscar-winning Hôtel Terminus, on the life of the Nazi war criminal Klaus Barbie. As free-roaming as its subject, unearthing material both disturbing and absurd, the film ends in one of documentary cinema's most extraordinary sequences, as Ophuls witnesses a chance encounter between a woman who as a child had seen her father carted away by the Gestapo and an elderly neighbour who had turned a blind eye to the same events. Though Hôtel Terminus sparked violent arguments at Cannes, the critic Roger Ebert admired its tenacity, calling it 'the film of a man who continues the conversation after others would like to move on to more polite subjects'. Yet as a characteristically combative Ophuls countered in 2004: 'I'm not obsessed. I just happen to think that the Holocaust was the worst thing that happened in the 20th century. Think I'm wrong?' He was born Hans Marcel Oppenheimer in Frankfurt on November 1 1927, the son of Max Oppenheimer and his actress wife Hildegard Wall. The family fled Germany for France in 1933, taking French citizenship in 1938, whereupon Max dropped the umlaut from his stage name, Ophüls; after the occupation they fled anew to Los Angeles, where Max began an unhappy spell as a studio filmmaker and Marcel attended Hollywood High and Occidental College. Marcel Ophuls completed military service in Japan before studying at UC Berkeley, taking US citizenship in 1950. Upon graduation he moved to Paris, briefly studying philosophy at the Sorbonne, before dropping out and working as an assistant director (initially under the pseudonym Marcel Wall, to dodge nepotism accusations) on John Huston's Moulin Rouge (1952) and his father's sweeping Lola Montès (1955). He made his directorial debut with a German television adaptation of John Mortimer's The Dock Brief (Das Pflichtmandat, 1958), before being tapped by François Truffaut to contribute to the portmanteau film Love at Twenty (L'amour à vingt ans, 1962). By now he was part of the New Wave set: Jeanne Moreau funded his detective comedy Banana Skin (Peau de Banane, 1963), but his fiction career came to a halt after the flop thriller Place Your Bets, Ladies (Faites vos jeux, mesdames, 1965). Ophuls moved into documentary, taking a job with the French broadcaster ORTF, where he railed against the prevailing state censorship; he was eventually fired in May 1968 after making a film deemed sympathetic to the student rioters, though by then he was well into post-production on The Sorrow and the Pity. After Hôtel Terminus, Ophuls suffered mixed fortunes. November Days (1990), on the subject of German reunification, played as part of the BBC's Inside Story strand, but The Troubles We've Seen (Veillées d'armes, 1994), on wartime journalism and the Bosnian conflict, failed to reach an audience, despite a César nomination in France. He worked more sparingly in the new millennium, completing Max par Marcel (2009), on his father's legacy, and the career overview Ain't Misbehavin' (Un voyageur, 2013), his final completed film; a later project on anti-Semitism and the Middle East, Des vérités désagréables (Unpleasant Truths), ran into financial and legal troubles and remained unfinished at the time of his death. During a visit to Israel in 2007, Ophuls attempted to define his life's work: 'I'm not a preacher, a judge or an adviser. I'm just a filmmaker trying now and then to make sense of crises... Life made me, unwillingly, an expert on 20th-century crises. I would've preferred to direct musicals.' He is survived by his wife Regine, née Ackermann, and three daughters. Marcel Ophuls, born November 1 1927, died May 24 2025 Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
