Latest news with #EvanDavis
Telegraph
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
BBC bans presenter from hosting heat pump podcast
The BBC has banned Evan Davis from hosting a podcast about heat pumps over concerns that the appliances are too controversial. The Radio 4 and Dragon's Den presenter, has hosted the Happy Heat Pump podcast for 20 episodes. But now he has been forced to give it up, telling listeners: 'Essentially, I am a BBC employee and they very kindly signed off on me doing this side hustle, non-BBC. 'But as the series has gone on – in fact, as the world has progressed over the last few months – they have become concerned that anything like this trying to inform people about heat pumps can be interpreted, rightly or wrongly, as somehow treading on areas of public controversy. 'I take their shilling, they dictate the rules. They know they have to keep their presenters out of areas of public controversy and they have decided heat pumps can be controversial, so they've asked me not to be involved. So the Happy Heat Pump podcast does come to an end. 'It was a difficult decision, they're very unkeen to stop me doing things that I find rewarding … but they want us to stop.' The co-host of the podcast is Bean Beanland, director for growth and external affairs for the Heat Pump Federation. Beanland said he was 'gutted' by the decision and blamed it on the culture wars, adding he had been dismayed to visit the Telegraph website and read comments by readers opposed to heat pumps. 'It's quite extraordinary, really,' he said. 'You see this term 'culture war' being bandied around these days and it does seem to me that somehow the technologies that we espouse have fallen victim to some kind of culture war.' Davis said he understood wariness about heat pumps as 'people feel they're going to be told what to do by some nannying person and it's going to be more expensive and they resent that'. He said that the podcast was 'not here to sell you heat pumps' but joked to Beanland: 'I do slightly worry that you're here to sell heat pumps.' Beanland said he was not, and was simply trying to offer a balanced view. But Beanland likened the transition to heat pumps to other social changes which initially met resistance but are now widely accepted. He said: 'We've been through other things like this. Everyone now wears a seatbelt, or crash helmets on a bicycle.' A BBC spokesman 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.'
The Independent
23-04-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Evan Davis being told to stop hosting podcast was ‘tough' for BBC boss
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. 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.'
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
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:// — 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.'
Scottish Sun
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Dragons' Den star leaves fans ‘gutted' after revealing bosses ‘forced' them to axe new role away from hit BBC show
HEATING UP Dragons' Den star leaves fans 'gutted' after revealing bosses 'forced' them to axe new role away from hit BBC show A DRAGONS' Den star has left fans feeling 'gutted' after revealing that bosses 'forced' them to axe their new role away from the hit BBC show. Evan Davis, who hosts BBC Dragons' Den, teamed up with Bean Beanland to talk about the positives and negatives of heat pumps. Advertisement 2 A Dragons' Den star has left fans feeling 'gutted' after revealing that bosses 'forced' them to axe their new role away from the hit BBC show Credit: BBC 2 Evan Davis, who hosts BBC Dragons' Den, teamed up with Bean Beanland to talk about the positives and negatives of heat pumps Credit: BBC But he has told his followers that their Happy Heat Pump Podcast will be coming to an end after only 20 episodes. The podcast was first launched in November 2024 and growing a following of fans, with over 900 subscribers on YouTube. However, Evan has now said the podcast will no longer produce episodes. Posting on social media, the BBC radio host wrote: "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. Advertisement "The BBC legitimately regulates its presenters' external activities. "And for good reason, they like us to avoid stepping into live arguments. "Thanks to the thousands of folks who've listened. The episodes will remain online.. a great introduction to heat pumps." His followers were shocked at the announcement and one person said: "This is shocking! I thought the move to heat pumps was inevitable so where's the controversy?" Advertisement "How the hell are heat pumps controversial? This says more about the BBC to be honest." added another. A third exclaimed: "Controversial? Are heat pumps seen as left wing? I think this is more a reflection of the BBC than anything else." Dragons' Den's Evan Davis reveals brutal reason he was chosen by BBC bosses to host hit show ahead of new series While another added: "This is sad news, that the BBC seems to be scared of its own shadow. "The only way to enable people to take an informed view on controversial matters such a net zero is to provide fact based advice. Advertisement "This podcast seems very much in keeping with those BBC values." "The BBC kowtowing to vested the controversy. That's the bias" added another follower. Evan's official description of the podcast on YouTube reads: "It's a UK objective to replace gas boilers over the coming two decades, with heat pumps being seen as the obvious alternative. "It will be a massive project to change the way we heat our homes - we might be installing 25 million of these devices in the next three decades. Advertisement "So what are they? What do they cost? What are the positives and negatives of heat pumps? "Always curious about the scale of the transition upon which we are set to embark, Evan will be looking at heat pumps in a dispassionate way, with Bean helping along the way… hoping to inform you if you're thinking of buying one. "Or if you work in the industry, or if you are simply interested in the journey to net zero." "Please do get in touch with any questions and we will try to answer them in future episodes happyheatpumppod@ or please leave a happy comment."
The Sun
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Dragons' Den star leaves fans ‘gutted' after revealing bosses ‘forced' them to axe new role away from hit BBC show
A DRAGONS' Den star has left fans feeling 'gutted' after revealing that bosses 'forced' them to axe their new role away from the hit BBC show. Evan Davis, who hosts BBC Dragons' Den, teamed up with Bean Beanland to talk about the positives and negatives of heat pumps. 2 2 But he has told his followers that their Happy Heat Pump Podcast will be coming to an end after only 20 episodes. The podcast was first launched in November 2024 and growing a following of fans, with over 900 subscribers on YouTube. However, Evan has now said the podcast will no longer produce episodes. Posting on social media, the BBC radio host wrote: "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. "The BBC legitimately regulates its presenters' external activities. "And for good reason, they like us to avoid stepping into live arguments. "Thanks to the thousands of folks who've listened. The episodes will remain online.. a great introduction to heat pumps." His followers were shocked at the announcement and one person said: "This is shocking! I thought the move to heat pumps was inevitable so where's the controversy?" "How the hell are heat pumps controversial? This says more about the BBC to be honest." added another. A third exclaimed: "Controversial? Are heat pumps seen as left wing? I think this is more a reflection of the BBC than anything else." Dragons' Den's Evan Davis reveals brutal reason he was chosen by BBC bosses to host hit show ahead of new series While another added: "This is sad news, that the BBC seems to be scared of its own shadow. "The only way to enable people to take an informed view on controversial matters such a net zero is to provide fact based advice. "This podcast seems very much in keeping with those BBC values." "The BBC kowtowing to vested the controversy. That's the bias" added another follower. Dragons' Den stars - past and present Dragons' Den has been on our screens since 2005 and sees entrepreneurs enter the Den to try and win investment for their businesses from the Dragons. Over the years there have been many wealthy investors sitting in the famous seats, here's a rundown of them all and how long they were on the show for. Peter Jones - series 1 - present Deborah Meaden - series 3 - present Touker Suleyman - series 13 - present Sara Davies - series 17 - present Steven Bartlett - series 19 - present Duncan Bannatyne - series 1 - 12 Rachel Elnaugh - series 1 and 2 Doug Richard - series 1 and 2 Simon Woodroffe - series 1 Theo Paphitis - series 2 -10 Richard Farleigh - series 3 and 4 James Caan - series 5-8 Hilary Devey - series 9 and 10 Kelly Hoppen - series 11 and 12 Piers Linney - series 11 and 12 Nick Jenkins - series 13 and 14 Sarah Willingham - series 13 and 14 Jenny Campbell - series 15 and 16 Tej Lalvani - series 15 - 18 Emma Grede and Gary Neville were guest Dragons during series 21. Evan's official description of the podcast on YouTube reads: "It's a UK objective to replace gas boilers over the coming two decades, with heat pumps being seen as the obvious alternative. "It will be a massive project to change the way we heat our homes - we might be installing 25 million of these devices in the next three decades. "So what are they? What do they cost? What are the positives and negatives of heat pumps? "Always curious about the scale of the transition upon which we are set to embark, Evan will be looking at heat pumps in a dispassionate way, with Bean helping along the way… hoping to inform you if you're thinking of buying one. "Or if you work in the industry, or if you are simply interested in the journey to net zero." "Please do get in touch with any questions and we will try to answer them in future episodes happyheatpumppod@ or please leave a happy comment."
