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During 23 years with the BBC, and 41 years in journalism (when he was trained to use clear and simple language, avoiding jargon), our Editor Welshman Phil Parry is shocked by new revelations that the giant corporation is facing more unwelcome headlines over the sexist behaviour of ANOTHER of its stars, putting in context the fact that the organisation’s Press Office (PO) has refused to answer questions about how many programmes cannot now be transmitted…
It just goes on…
Now we hear that BBC Wales (BBC W) TV and radio star Wynne Evans was captured in a recording making an appalling sexist remark.
The shocking news made difficult headlines that the corporation must now face.
For example the Mail on Sunday (MoS) reported: “The BBC was facing a fresh crisis last night after Strictly Come Dancing star was caught on film by The Mail on Sunday making a vile sexual comment about one of the show’s female hosts. Wynne Evans – the tenor known for the Go Compare ads and a BBC radio presenter – was recorded crudely suggesting a three-way sex session with presenter Janette Manrara using the hugely demeaning term ‘spit roast’…This is not the first time Evans has threatened the reputation of the BBC’s biggest show as it attempts to recover from a string of scandals”.
This was Sky News: ‘Strictly Come Dancing star Wynne Evans has apologised for an “inappropriate and unacceptable” remark he made to a woman during the show’s live tour launch’.
However this disgraceful news was not reported at the time by the BBC. THEIR website led on the ‘news’ that opposition leader Kemi Badenoch was challenged with a claim during a television interview that social integration played a key role in the Southport killings.
Only when Mr Evans confirmed that he would now be standing down from the tour did they publish the disturbing news. That, of course, was the nose for the story, but in the fourth paragraph details were also given that he would be stopping presenting his Radio Wales (RW) show too.
The story on the Welsh website about this was identical to the one on network online, despite the fact there was a strong link to BBC Wales (BBCW), giving rise to the accusation that they had simply taken the UK piece.
But it seems that the departure of Mr Evans may not be enough for some listeners to RW.
Among the comments about the station on ‘Digital Spy’ (DS) was: “It…has some fairly awful, parochial presentation. It’s the equivalent of a Yorkshire station filling its schedule with ee-bah-gum gobshites in flat caps – it’s not representative of the place as a whole. Wynne Evans is mercifully gone, most likely, but it could do a better job of representing a diverse country. “
The background to all of this is that the corporation has STILL not answered questions about how many programmes cannot now be shown because the host has been mired in scandal, with more now possibly in the frame.
Queries about them were sent before Christmas but apart from automatic messages saying the request for information had been received, there has been no response whatsoever, even though they had directly followed the alarming Gregg Wallace business.
As with Mr Evans, it was reported that Mr Wallace was stepping back, too, but in this case it was from his role on MasterChef while allegations of historical misconduct were looked into.
An investigation by BBC News revealed that he is facing allegations of inappropriate sexual comments from 13 people who worked with him over a 17-year period.
Channel 5 was also examining allegations of ‘inappropriate behaviour’ by the presenter while making the programme ‘Gregg Wallace’s Big Weekends’ in 2019.
More alleged ‘inappropriate behaviour’ came to light afterwards, and BBC News has reported about the corporation: “It’s the last thing it needs, so soon after other high profile scandals including the disgraced BBC News presenter Huw Edwards. The BBC has questions to answer about the allegations over what it knew about Wallace’s behaviour on and off set, and – if it was alerted to these types of allegations – what it did about them. BBC News has been made aware of two occasions when complaints were made. One, by the radio host Aasmah Mir, related to Celebrity MasterChef in 2017.”
One Welsh former senior executive with the corporation told me earlier: “The BBC is attempting to display decisiveness after the Huw Edwards & Savile scandals to help restore its public image. It’s cosmetic. On the Wallace incident it was said that we saw: “Another slap on the wrist from weak executives who’re afraid to sack talent & put ratings first. He’s finished and the Beeb managers who let him carry on should be fired”.
All of this came on the back of many other terrible events where the BBC has hit the headlines for the wrong reasons. We have had the Amanda Abbington/Giovanni Pernice incident on ‘Strictly Come Dancing’, involving accusations of bullying and harassment.
There has also been the One Show and Match of the Day (MotD) presenter Jermaine Jenas business, where once again there have been allegations of ‘inappropriate behaviour’, with reports claiming, for example, that one female member of staff received unsolicited communications via text from him.
We have been treated to the Huw Edwards affair, and the Jimmy Savile scandal (which the former executive mentioned), with the full extent of what Savile did only emerging relatively recently.
All of these incidents have prompted front page news about The BBC in UK papers. The allegations concerning Mr Evans may be the latest, but we’ll start with the information about Ms Abbington The BBC says it assessed and “upheld some, but not all” of her complaints about her time on Strictly, after she pulled out of the show last year and claimed later that there was a “toxic environment”, as well as that she had been subject to “inappropriate, mean, nasty bullying”.
In saying sorry, the huge corporation proclaimed: “We have assessed the complaints and we have upheld some, but not all, of the complaints made. We want to apologise to Amanda Abbington and to thank her for coming forward and taking part. We know this would not have been an easy thing to do”. It also said in the apology statement that The BBC expects “…very high standards…”, so critics are entitled to ask why they apparently do not exist in the PO, especially after the Mr Evans affair.
Mr Jenas, too, faced claims of ‘inappropriate behaviour’ and was sacked from The BBC over allegedly sending ‘unsolicited’ texts to junior members of staff. Reports have claimed that one female worker received unsolicited communications via text from him – they were supposedly ‘flirty’. Others then came forward according to The Sun. However, the source added there was “no suggestion of illegality” on Mr Jenas’s part.
Let’s not forget the incredible Jay Blades episode. The Repair Shop star was accused of illegal acts in relation to his estranged wife, with the allegations including physical and emotional abuse, according to court documents. He appeared at Kidderminster Magistrates’ Court and was bailed until another court appearance. West Mercia Police (WMP) said he was charged after they were called to an address last year, following an Instagram post by Lisa Zbozen. A repeat of David & Jay’s Touring Toolshed was removed and the BBC will not show any programmes in which he features. Last October he pleaded not guilty to engaging in controlling or coercive behaviour.
After everything that has happened, it seemed reasonable, therefore, to ask the BBC which programmes could not now be transmitted.
This is the (extremely polite) request I put to their Press Office (PO) on December 19, and I was encouraged because on the BBC’s website they declare: “Enquiries from journalists will be responded to as quickly as possible”.
Hello.
I am Editor of a news website called The Eye.
Could you please answer the following questions:
1. In the light of the Gregg Wallace, and other affairs, what, if any, programmes are now not to be transmitted, and how many of them are there?
2. What, if any, changes have been made to your Whistleblowers’ Charter, and what are the dates of these?
3. What, if any, changes have been made to your safeguarding policies, and what are the dates of these?
Statements can be made by return to this address – it is checked constantly and is totally secure.
Thank you,
Phil Parry
To date, though, there has been no reply apart from two automated messages saying that the request had been received.
Perhaps these sort of questions are too difficult to handle, especially after the Mr Evans business…
The memories of Phil’s, astonishing award-winning career in journalism (including some of the immediate responses from POs) as he was gripped by the rare neurological disabling condition, Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia (HSP), have been released in a major book ‘A GOOD STORY’. Order the book now!
Tomorrow – why for Phil travelling safely to stories has always been paramount, but now comes new research which shows that a huge decline in road deaths has stalled.
