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Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
BBC accused of giving Gary Lineker ‘hero's farewell' with Match of the Day swansong
The BBC has been accused of giving Gary Lineker a 'hero's farewell' by allowing him a Match of the Day 'swansong' on Sunday. Lineker's departure has been confirmed after mounting pressure within the corporation and beyond over an 'anti-Semitic' social media post last week. However, corporation chiefs have allowed the former England football captain to host this Sunday's coverage of the last matches of the Premier League season. Campaigners and BBC insiders are now questioning why he was not dismissed with immediate effect given the levels of offence caused by the now-deleted Instagram post showing an anti-Semitic rat emoji. Among television executives to express fresh concern are Leo Pearlman, chief executive at Fulwell Entertainment, and Danny Cohen, former director of BBC Television. 'The BBC's decision to allow Lineker a final appearance on Match of the Day, effectively offering him a hero's farewell, despite the fact that he is leaving the corporation because of his use of an anti-Semitic trope comparing Jews to vermin, is deeply disturbing,' Pearlman told Telegraph Sport. 'At a time when anti-Semitism in Britain is rising at an alarming rate, the BBC's choice to honour Lineker in this way sends an appalling message to the Jewish community.' Cohen added: 'The BBC has made the right decision to part ways with Gary Lineker, but he should not be allowed a final swansong this weekend. And why the BBC's statement does not even mention anti-Semitism is hard to understand. Given the Nazi echoes of the content shared it will be very hard for many in the Jewish community to see Mr Lineker present Match of the Day again on Sunday. 'If the racist content had been directed at another community, I do not believe a presenter would be allowed to carry on for another week. The BBC has a serious and wide-ranging problem with anti-Semitism. Only much stronger executive leadership can change that.' Jane Lush, the former controller of BBC Entertainment and Comedy, added: 'No person, however popular, is bigger or more important than the BBC. I say this as the person who personally fired Angus Deayton from Have I Got News For You. When many predicted it would see the demise of the programme, 23 years later the show is going as strongly as ever. The lesson the BBC should learn is that it cannot allow anyone – however well known or influential – to damage its reputation in this way again.' Lineker will lose out on an estimated £800,000 after being forced to leave without a pay-off. Sources close to the corporation say the decision to drop him was made primarily by BBC chiefs who had run out of patience with his outspoken political views. The latest controversy was set in motion on Monday last week when the Match of the Day presenter used Instagram to promote a pro-Palestinian video featuring a rat emoji – an icon used by the Nazis as a slur against Jewish people. Lineker apologised and removed the video but calls to remove him from the BBC grew louder on Thursday when Telegraph Sport published an explosive interview with Lineker in which he went further than ever in his comments about Israel and also criticised his boss at the BBC. It was confirmed at noon on Monday that this Sunday's Match of the Day will be Lineker's last BBC outing. An anonymous BBC member of staff said in response on Monday: 'It's not just about the rat, the video itself contained anti-Semitic tropes and yet it seems like BBC bosses have done the bare minimum of damage limitation. As a Jewish member of staff, that feels like a betrayal.' Stuart Andrew MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, said: 'It is unacceptable that the BBC is permitting Gary Lineker to host Match of the Day as a presenter for one more show given his reposting of offensive content which played into ancient anti-Semitic tropes. Such a decision not only undermines the seriousness of anti-Semitism but also calls into question the BBC's commitment to being impartial.' 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.
Irish Daily Mirror
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
WIN TICKETS TO SEE DARA O'BRIAIN LATM, CORK, SUNDAY JUNE 29, 2025!
Dara O'Briain came to prominence as host of the topical panel show Don't Feed the Gondolas. On TV he is also known for hosting Mock The Week, Robot Wars, Three Men in a Boat, Dara and Ed's Great Big Adventure, Stargazing Live, Dara Ó Briain's Science Club, and the documentary Dara Ó Briain Meets Stephen Hawking, all on BBC Television. As well as winning Channel 4's Taskmaster! Thanks to our friends at Live At The Marquee we have a pair of tickets to giveaway to one lucky winner to see Dara O'Briain Live at the Marquee, Sunday June 29, 2025 PLUS overnight B&B stay for two sharing at the 4* Clayton Hotel Cork! To be in with a chance of winning simply fill out the form below. If you can't see the form above, CLICK HERE Terms and Conditions apply, see entry form for details.
Daily Mail
27-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
I work on Antiques Roadshow - there are two golden rules we must follow when it comes to the guests or risk BIG trouble
A volunteer who worked on American version of Antiques Roadshow has revealed why they NEVER touch the items that guests bring on the show. The person opened up about their experience on the much-loved show on Reddit. Going by the username 'wellmeomy', they wrote on the discussion website: 'I have been on Antiques Roadshow. 'I worked as a volunteer at one of their shows this season. 'I did get two items appraised, but I was not video taped. 'They had me working on the set for the whole day so I should be able to answer any questions you have about it!' Many rushed to reply to their post to find out all the gossip from behind the scenes of the programme. The Reddit user ended up bringing two items in and were left shocked when they found out that they were 19th century tantric. However, they weren't allowed to touch them under any circumstances. In the post they confessed: 'There were several instance where owners dropped their objects, one woman dropped a vase that was valued at a couple grand... she flipped. 'We were told explicitly by the producers to not touch ANY of the guests items, even if the owners were asking for assistance.' Meanwhile another fan questioned them: 'How much research do the appraisers (or assistants) do for an object? 'What's the time line like between when they first see something, and when they make their final analysis?' They replied: 'All of the research is done on the day of the event. The appraisers take usually about an hour, but some time more, to collect their information. 'There is a small area backstage with computers and a book collection to use for reference, although it seems most of the appraisers can assess the more common items instantly without much research.' And another intrigued viewer asked: 'Did any of the appraisers ever offer to buy items from the guests?' 'The appraisers do not offer to buy items on the spot, because it would be totally unprofessional,' the Reddit user replied. 'They may express interest though. 'All the guests at the event are encouraged to pick up the appraisers business cards, which are all set out on a huge table as the guests leave the event. 'Not all appraisers leave their cards though.' Antiques Roadshow sees guests appear on the programme to get their objects valued by experts. The US version of Antiques Roadshow was created by BBC Television and developed by WGHB-TV Boston. Since airing on PBS it has had 29 successful seasons and had a number of presenters. They include Chris Jussel, Dan Elias, Lara Spencer and Mark L. Walberg. Meanwhile the British version has been on our screens since 1979. Over the past 46 years there have been 866 episodes across 47 series.
The Independent
31-03-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
The Grand National is the biggest horse race in the world – but its future is in serious doubt
The FA Cup final, a Lord's Test match, The Open, Wimbledon, the Grand National – all iconic British sporting events, revered and treasured by the viewing public. For some of a certain vintage, all of the above, plus the likes of the British Grand Prix and World Snooker Championships are intrinsically linked with our childhoods and formed the very fabric of our sporting obsession with terrestrial television transporting us to Wembley, Silverstone or Aintree to witness acts of brilliance and unstinting bravery. That was certainly the correct description for the jockeys that tackled the National's formidable obstacles – 40 horses galloping at high speed, attacking fences like Becher's Brook and The Chair. There was a jeopardy, an unavoidable feeling of anxiousness and suspense; would the horse we had drawn in the office sweepstake, been tipped by grandma or picked on trends and statistics, navigate both the 5ft ditch and most imposing fence on the course at 5ft 2in? To echo an Australian description of the Melbourne Cup, the National was a race that stopped a nation on that one Saturday afternoon in April. Those days are arguably now behind us as recent alterations to the make-up of the National have been made to ensure its longevity and placate a minority with increasingly louder voices pushing for a complete ban on horse racing and to let every horse in training run free. A reduction in the maximum field from 40 runners to 34 has not been universally welcomed by the industry who wonder, with some justification, where these modifications will end, while the examination of a horse's jumping ability is barely recognisable from the days of Red Rum. The transformation of the National is of huge concern to Darren Owen, who has commentated on the marquee event for more than 20 years in his role both for BBC Television and 5Live. 'The Grand National has been a victim of its own success. During its peak there were 12 million people watching one of the world's greatest spectacles,' said Owen. 'Sadly, it is now in danger, thanks to the reduced field and other alterations, of becoming a borefest. The 'Aintree factor' simply isn't there anymore, the sanitisation of the race has gone too far. 'Yes, there have been some good welfare work done with the structure of the fences being modernised, but I feel the authorities have boarded up the shop window when they really needed to brighten up the shop window. 'The Grand National is the flagship of our great sport and I am really concerned for its future. Fifty years ago, the course was on the verge of extinction and was set to be sold for development. Thanks to a public campaign, Aintree was saved and the National is now a race which belongs to Liverpool and the country. If we lose the National, there is no other race that will replace it.' A passionate Owen continued: 'For many of us, our passion for racing hailed from watching the National on television as kids. I was very lucky as my first exposure of the great race was seeing the incredible 1973 renewal where Red Rum chased down Crisp. 'I'm a big advocate of a 'win and you're in' incentive, like they do with another iconic race; the Melbourne Cup. I want to see good, in-form horses running in the National not a collection of has-beens. 'The National must never loses its lustre. Some people compare it to watching Formula One for the thrills and spills and we must ensure it never loses its identity. 'We must do everything in our power to preserve the prestige and history of an iconic national sporting event. Jump racing is under threat from outside forces and we must fight to retain it's place in the sporting calendar.' Of course, it could simply be a case of looking back at those 19th century Nationals with rose-tinted spectacles, what's the saying; nostalgia ain't what it used to be. It is a delicate balancing act providing enough drama and excitement to keep the public entertained, while minimising risk so the race's critics gain little traction. Jon Pullin, the Jockey Club's head of racing and clerk of the course at Aintree, issued a robust defence of the changes: 'We review all aspects of the race every year, with the welfare of everyone involved our number one priority, but we also work hard to preserve the unique characteristics and challenges which make the Grand National the iconic race it is. 'Over the years we've made numerous changes, including modifying every fence in 2012 from timber frames to more forgiving plastic and investing hundreds of thousands of pounds in an enhanced watering system and a state-of-the-art cooling and washdown area for horses post-race. 'Then in 2023 we conducted an extensive review which resulted in several changes ranging from reducing the maximum number of runners to 34 to adding rubber toe boards to every fence. We've also introduced a standing start to the race and moved the first fence 60 yards closer to the start to help reduce speed on approach to that first fence.' Peter Scudamore, who along with partner Lucinda Russell won the 2023 National with Corach Rambler, also believes horse welfare has improved immeasurably in recent times and that the sport is doing everything in its power to ensure its equine athletes are well catered for and risk is minimalised to an acceptable level. Scudamore said: 'Aintree and those in the industry are trying to do everything we can to lower risk, but as much as it is unpalatable, risk will always play a part in sport. 'Our first Grand National winner One For Arthur (2017) was retired before suffering colic in a field and we couldn't save him. We took the decision not to run our Cheltenham winner Brindisi Breeze at Aintree after he had won at the Festival and he killed himself in a field later that summer. 'We, as an industry, are passionate about our horses and because of their value these days, veterinary care is now on a different level to back in the day and is continuing to improve year on year.' The former Champion Jockey believes the future of Liverpool's iconic showpiece is under threat due to a change in thinking within society. He continued: 'I do worry for the future of the National as I think as a country we are becoming alienated from the countryside. I'm aware I was brought up in a rural community with people practicing rural ideas and nowadays those rules are at odds with the urban ideas which appear to be more prevalent. 'The Grand National is still a great spectacle, it is still 30 plus horses jumping over fences at speed and it still presents a fair question for horses. 'We retired Corach Rambler because we thought he had nothing left to prove and I ride him most days and firmly believe he loved being a racehorse and still believes he is one. The wellbeing of our horses is paramount to us and the moral question we should perhaps be asking is this; are humans looked after as well as our horses? 'I'd suggest not in a huge number of cases.'
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
BBC apologises for using Hamas minister's son in documentary
The BBC has been forced to apologise for using the son of a Hamas government minister in a documentary about ordinary Palestinians. The documentary, Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone, was broadcast on Monday evening as an account of the conflict through the eyes of three Gazan children. It has since emerged the hour-long film's narrator – Abdullah Al-Yazouri, 14 – is the son of Ayman Alyazouri, who is deputy minister of agriculture in the Hamas-run government. The BBC issued an apology on Wednesday night, claiming it 'had not been informed' of the connection by the documentary's producers before it was broadcast. 'We followed all of our usual compliance procedures in the making of this film, but we had not been informed of this information by the independent producers when we complied and then broadcast the finished film,' a spokesman said. Danny Cohen, the former controller of BBC Television, said the corporation had failed to do 'basic journalistic checks' and accused it of 'trying to throw the producer of the documentary under the bus'. 'Yesterday the BBC claimed they had 'full editorial control',' he said. 'Today it is someone else's fault. 'The serious questions asked of the BBC remain unanswered: why did our national broadcaster fail to carry out the basic journalistic checks needed to ensure that propaganda from the terrorists of Hamas was not broadcast in primetime?' The apology came a day after the BBC defended the hour-long film, saying it had full editorial control over the content and that the children's parents had no editorial input. In the documentary, the boy's background was not revealed to viewers and it is not clear if the film crew were aware of his links to Hamas. The corporation has now added a disclaimer to the documentary, which admits the Hamas link but continues to insist the documentary makers had 'full editorial control'. 'We've promised our audiences the highest standards of transparency, so it is only right that as a result of this new information, we add some more detail to the film before its retransmission,' a spokesman said. He added: 'The film remains a powerful child's eye view of the devastating consequences of the war in Gaza which we believe is an invaluable testament to their experiences, and we must meet our commitment to transparency.' A formal complaint about the film was lodged on Tuesday by the campaign group Labour Against Antisemitism, which said the documentary saw 'Hamas propaganda promoted as reliable fact at the taxpayers' expense'. Critics said the BBC had allowed itself to be used as a propaganda platform for Hamas by giving airtime to the child of one of its senior figures. Questions were also raised over whether Mr Abdullah's family should have been known to the production team behind the documentary, particularly the two Palestinian cameramen who filmed the three children. How to Survive a Warzone was produced for BBC2 by Jamie Roberts, whose previous work includes Ukraine: Enemy in the Woods, and This is Gaza, which followed film-maker Yousef Hammash, a Palestinian currently living in Britain. The film – which was nine months in the making – also looks at the plight of Zakaria, 11, and Renad, 10. Mr Abdullah, who attended the British school in Gaza before the war, has previously appeared in a Channel 4 news item, broadcast in November 2023, speaking about the devastation wrought by Israeli bombing. Mr Alyazouri, his father, previously appeared to praise two Hamas 'martyrs' who were said to have been involved in the murder of four Israelis in 2023. 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.
