Latest news with #GazaDocumentary
Daily Mail
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
BBC Breakfast star announces extended break from show - and viewers are NOT happy
A BBC Breakfast star has announced an extended break from the show, and viewers were not happy one bit. Saturday's instalment of BBC Breakfast saw Naga Munchetty, 50, and Charlie Stayt, 63, cover the day's top headlines. Meanwhile the Newswatch segment was covered by journalist Samira Ahmed, 57. Newswatch covers the responses of viewers to the Beeb's coverage of events and news. The segment is broadcast during BBC News on Fridays at 11.30pm and on BBC Breakfast on Saturday's at 7.45am. At the end of Saturday's show, which saw Samira cover the BBC's Gaza documentary as well as coverage on the Gregg Wallace and John Torode scandal, the presenter shared an update. Samira revealed Newswatch would be taking a break and won't be on screens again until September. 'We are off the air for a few weeks now, but please do continue to get in touch with us over the summer and we'll be back with more of your thoughts about how the BBC covers news in the first week of September,' Samira said. However, some viewers weren't impressed with the coverage and one noted that it was a 'disappointing' final instalment. One penned on X: ' last one too.' Another said: 'Well, that was a waste of 10 minutes!! #BBCBreakfast.' 'Not this again. #bbcbreakfast,' someone else added. It comes after another BBC presenter announced an extended break from their show after an 'incredibly rare' cancer diagnosis last month. Bryan Burnett, 59, presents the early evening Get it On show on BBC Radio Scotland weekdays from 6pm. The broadcaster, from Abderdeen, revealed to his listeners that he had been diagnosed with appendiceal cancer earlier this year. It comes after BBC presenter Bryan Burnett (pictured) announced his extended break from his show Get it On after an 'incredibly rare' cancer diagnosis Appendiceal cancer, or appendix cancer, is a type of cancer that grows from cells in the appendix — a small finger-shaped pouch at the end of the large intestine. Bryan will undergo treatment including chemotherapy and abdominal surgery. While the host recovers, his step-in presenter will be Grant Stott. Bryan said: 'This is gonna be my last show for a wee while and I want to explain why that is. 'Unfortunately, I'm gonna have to take some time off the show to have some treatment for cancer.' He added: 'When they removed my appendix recently, they discovered a tumour and appendix cancer is incredibly rare but the good news is it is treatable but I do have to have some fairly hefty abdominal surgery next week.'
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Focus on Gregg Wallace, Glastonbury and Gaza as BBC releases annual report
The BBC is to face questions on Gregg Wallace, its Glastonbury Festival coverage and the Gaza: How To Survive A Warzone documentary as it prepares to release its 2024/2025 annual report. The corporation will highlight its successes over the past year and disclose the pay of its top talent, but focus is likely to be on a storm of stories about the BBC's shows and coverage of live events. It comes after Ofcom announced it would investigate the BBC's Gaza: How To Survive A Warzone documentary after a review found it had breached the corporation's editorial guidelines on accuracy. The regulator said it had examined the BBC report and would be investigating under its broadcasting code, which states factual programmes 'must not materially mislead the audience'. The programme was removed from BBC iPlayer in February after it emerged that the child narrator, Abdullah, is the son of Ayman Alyazouri, who has worked as Hamas's deputy minister of agriculture. An Ofcom spokesperson said: 'Having examined the BBC's findings, we are launching an investigation under our rule which states that factual programmes must not materially mislead the audience.' The review, conducted by Peter Johnston, the director of editorial complaints and reviews, which is independent of BBC News, said the programme was in breach of accuracy for 'failing to disclose information about the child narrator's father's position within the Hamas-run government'. But the review found no other breaches of editorial guidelines, including breaches of impartiality, and also found no evidence that outside interests 'inappropriately impacted on the programme'. The BBC will also face scrutiny after a total of 45 out of the 83 allegations of misconduct made against former MasterChef presenter Wallace during his time on the show were substantiated, including one allegation of 'unwelcome physical contact', in a report following an investigation into his behaviour. On Monday, Wallace's MasterChef co-host John Torode confirmed he had a standalone allegation of racist language upheld in the same report. He said had 'no recollection of the incident' and was 'shocked and saddened' by the allegation in an Instagram post. In November 2024 the show's production company, Banijay UK, announced Wallace would step away from his role on the BBC cooking show while historical allegations of misconduct were investigated. The report concluded that the 'majority of the substantiated allegations against Mr Wallace related to inappropriate sexual language and humour', adding that 'a smaller number of allegations of other inappropriate language and being in a state of undress were also substantiated'. Also expected to be on the agenda is coverage of Glastonbury, which saw the broadcaster livestream a set by punk duo Bob Vylan, during which singer Bobby Vylan, whose real name is reportedly Pascal Robinson-Foster, led crowds in chants of 'death, death to the IDF (Israel Defence Forces)'. Director-general Tim Davie confirmed on Monday that staff at the festival had the authority to cut the stream Avon and Somerset Police have since launched an investigation into the group's set with the BBC issuing an apology for the live stream, and promising to no longer broadcast live acts they deem 'high risk' as they had with Bob Vylan in a pre-festival assessment. The Ipswich-formed duo, who are completed by drummer Bobbie Vylan, are also being investigated by the Met Police for alleged comments in a video of their performance supporting Iggy Pop at Alexandra Palace in May. In the video, Vylan appears to say: 'Death to every single IDF soldier out there as an agent of terror for Israel. Death to the IDF.' According to reports in The Times, the BBC's director of music Lorna Clarke was among a group of senior staff who have stepped back from their day-to-day roles after the broadcaster's decision to show Bob Vylan's set live. The salary of former Match Of The Day host Gary Lineker is expected to be included in the report, after he left his presenting role early following a social media row after he shared a post about Zionism which featured a depiction of a rat, historically an antisemitic insult. Lineker, who issued an unreserved apology, was the BBC's highest-paid presenter until his departure, with the annual report for 2023/24 showing his salary to be to around £1.35 million a year. The presenter will no longer front the BBC's coverage of the 2026 World Cup or the FA Cup next season, with his final appearance on Match Of The Day at the end of the last Premier League season. It comes as it was announced that Mr Davie and BBC chairman Samir Shah will face questions from MPs over the documentary, Wallace, and its Glastonbury coverage. The two will appear before the Culture, Media and Sport Committee on September 9.
Daily Mail
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Ofcom launches probe into whether BBC Gaza documentary narrated by Hamas official's son misled audience
Ofcom has said it will launch a probe into whether the BBC 's controversial Gaza documentary, narrated by the son of a senior Hamas official, misled audiences. The watchdog announced the measure this afternoon following the shambolic release of the Beeb's programme, Gaza: How To Survive A Warzone. The documentary was axed from BBC iPlayer in February after it emerged its 13-year-old narrator, Abdullah, is the son of Ayman Alyazouri, who has worked as Hamas' s deputy minister of agriculture. In a newly published review, Peter Johnston - director of editorial complaints - said the programme was in breach of accuracy for 'failing to disclose information about the child narrator's father's position within the Hamas-run government'. His report found nobody at the BBC knew of the father's position when the documentary first aired on February 17, but three people at Hoyo Films, the independent production company that made the film, were aware. Mr Johnston said Hoyo Films did not 'intentionally' mislead the BBC about the position of the narrator's father, but says the independent production company 'bears most responsibility for this failure'. He said the BBC also 'bears some responsibility'. BBC director-general Tim Davie has apologised for a 'significant failing' in relation to the documentary and pledged the corporation would take action to prevent it happening again. The report cost approximately £100,000 to carry out. The review found no other breaches of editorial guidelines, including breaches of impartiality, and also found no evidence that 'outside interests' 'inappropriately impacted on the programme'. It said that 'careful consideration of the requirements of due impartiality was undertaken in this project given the highly contested nature of the subject matter'. The detail of the background information regarding the narrator's father is deemed as 'critical information', which the report says was not shared with the BBC before broadcast. Mr Davie said: 'Peter Johnston's report identifies a significant failing in relation to accuracy in this documentary. I thank him for his thorough work and I am sorry for this failing. 'We will now take action on two fronts - fair, clear and appropriate actions to ensure proper accountability and the immediate implementation of steps to prevent such errors being repeated.' The BBC board said: 'We thank Peter Johnston for his work. His report is a comprehensive examination of a complex programme, the production of which spanned many months from concept through to broadcast - and is critical in laying bare the facts of what happened. 'Nothing is more important than trust and transparency in our journalism. We welcome the actions the executive are taking to avoid this failing being repeated in the future.' The scandal drew the ire of Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, who described feeling 'exasperated' as she called for an 'adequate explanation from the BBC about what has happened'. 'I have not had that from the chair or director-general yet,' she told The Times earlier this month.. She added: 'I have been very clear that people must be held accountable for the decisions that were taken. I have asked the question to the board (of the BBC). Why has nobody been fired? 'What I want is an explanation as to why not. If it is a sackable offence then obviously that should happen. 'But if the BBC, which is independent, considers that it is not, I think what all parliamentarians want to know is why.' The review led the broadcaster to delay and then pull entirely another documentary from the region, Gaza: Doctors under Attack, which has since been broadcast on Channel 4. The documentary was originally commissioned by the BBC more than a year ago but paused its production in April and was eventually aired by Channel 4 earlier this month. It is a one off-documentary that examines allegations that Israeli forces have repeatedly targeted hospitals in breach of international law. The programme was made by two-time Emmy-winning journalist Ramita Navai, fellow two-time Emmy-winning director Karim Shah and ex-Channel 4 News Editor Ben De Pear, who is the executive producer of Basement Films, which was commissioned by the BBC to create the film. Channel 4 said it had fact-checked the documentary to ensure that it meets its editorial standards and the Ofcom Broadcasting Code. Hoyo Films said in a statement that they take the report findings 'extremely seriously' and 'apologise for the mistake that resulted in a breach of the (BBC) editorial guidelines'. They added: 'We are pleased that the report found that there was no evidence of inappropriate influence on the content of the documentary from any third party. 'We appreciate the rigorous nature of this investigation, and its findings that Hoyo Films did not intentionally mislead the BBC, that there were no other breaches of the editorial guidelines in the programme, and that there was no evidence to suggest that the programme funds were spent other than for reasonable, production-related purposes. Hoyo Films welcomes the report's recommendations and hope they will improve processes and prevent similar problems in the future. 'We are working closely with the BBC to see if we can find an appropriate way to bring back to iPlayer the stories of those featured in the programme. 'Our team in Gaza risked their lives to document the devastating impact of war on children.
Telegraph
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
BBC braces for damning reports over Gregg Wallace and Gaza film
The BBC is braced for two damning reports into its handling of the Gregg Wallace scandal and a controversial Gaza documentary. The report into the alleged inappropriate behaviour of Wallace, the former Masterchef host, commissioned by Banijay, an independent production company, is expected to be published this morning. It will be followed by the report into Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone, a documentary shelved after it was revealed it featured the son of a Hamas official, which is expected to be critical of the corporation and identify failures in the making of the programme. The Telegraph understands that BBC staff have 'lawyered up' ahead of the Gaza report, with BBC News staff seeking legal advice as they fear being scapegoated. On Sunday, Dame Melanie Dawes, the Ofcom chief executive, said the BBC was losing the public's trust following a spate of fiascos. Tim Davie, the BBC director general, has been under mounting pressure for weeks following the broadcast of the rap duo Bob Vylan leading chants of 'death to the IDF' at Glastonbury, which left him fighting for his job. He will face further questions about the scandals on Tuesday when the corporation's annual report is released.
The Independent
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Lisa Nandy says she asked BBC why nobody was fired for airing Gaza documentary
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has said she asked the BBC why nobody has been fired for airing a Gaza documentary which featured the son of a Hamas official. This comes ahead of a review looking into Gaza: How To Survive A Warzone, which is reportedly set to be published next week. The programme first aired in February until it was pulled by the broadcaster after it emerged that its 13-year old narrator is the son of a Hamas official. The review is being led by Peter Johnston, the director of editorial complaints and reviews which is independent of BBC News and reports directly to the director-general. It is expected to determine whether any editorial guidelines were broken, and whether any disciplinary action is needed. The BBC will also undertake a full audit of expenditure on the programme. Speaking to The Times, Ms Nandy described feeling 'exasperated' as she called for an 'adequate explanation from the BBC about what has happened'. 'I have not had that from the chair or director-general yet,' she said. She added: 'I have been very clear that people must be held accountable for the decisions that were taken. I have asked the question to the board (of the BBC). Why has nobody been fired? 'What I want is an explanation as to why not. If it is a sackable offence then obviously that should happen. 'But if the BBC, which is independent, considers that it is not, I think what all parliamentarians want to know is why.' The review led the corporation to delay and then pull entirely another documentary from the region, Gaza: Doctors under Attack, which has since been broadcast on Channel 4. Ms Nandy also added that she thinks the BBC has to 'get a grip' following the livestreamed Glastonbury performance from punk rap duo, Bob Vylan. The group have been dropped by a number of music events since the singer Bobby Vylan, whose real name is reportedly Pascal Robinson-Foster, 34, led crowds in chants of 'death, death to the IDF (Israel Defence Forces)' during their Saturday afternoon set at Glastonbury and which are now being investigated by police. 'The BBC leadership have got to get a grip on it,' Ms Nandy said. 'It makes me angry on behalf of the BBC staff and the whole creative industries in this country. 'Particularly the Jewish community, who deserved far better than what happened at the weekend. Action has to be forthcoming.' Bob Vylan, who are known for addressing political issues in their albums, including racism, masculinity and class, issued a statement on Tuesday claiming they were being 'targeted for speaking up'. The group have been vocal advocates for Palestinian rights and also led crowds in chants of 'Free Palestine' during their set. A BBC spokesperson said: 'The findings of the review will be published as soon as possible. 'As we have said previously, it is vital that this work is done as quickly as possible but it must also be thorough and follow a proper process.'
