BBC staff who had authority to cut Bob Vylan livestream ‘were at Glastonbury'
Police have since launched an investigation into the group with the BBC issuing an apology for the livestream and promising to no longer broadcast live acts they deem 'high risk'.
In a letter responding to questions sent by Dame Caroline Dinenage MP, chairwoman of the Culture Media and Sport Committee, the director-general of the BBC, Tim Davie said: 'Cutting the livestream was an option open to those on the ground on the day.
'There were 550 personnel working for the BBC at Glastonbury. Of these 328 were working for BBC Studios (camera crew, rigging, technical and production roles), 35 providing coverage for BBC News, and 187 other BBC public service, working across a wide range of roles, including technical crew, producers, presenters, engineers, runners, commissioners and compliance staff.'
He added: 'There were failures in our coverage which led to offensive content being broadcast live. I deeply regret that such deplorable behaviour appeared on the BBC and want to apologise to our viewers and listeners and in particular the Jewish community.
'In considering what to learn from this, my immediate priority was to take swift actions, as detailed above, to mitigate against anything similar happening in the future.
'At the same time we are taking actions to ensure there is proper accountability for those found to be responsible for the failings in the live broadcast; and we are urgently reviewing our guidelines to see if any further measures are needed.'
Since their Glastonbury set, Bob Vylan, made up of frontman Bobby Vylan, whose real name is reportedly Pascal Robinson-Foster, and drummer Bobbie Vylan, have reportedly been dropped by their agency, United Talent Agency (UTA), which appears to have removed the group from their website, and have also been pulled from a number of concerts – including their US tour after having their visas revoked.
The group announced on Monday, in a post on Instagram, that they were unable to join rock band, Gogol Bordello, on their European Tour.
The statement said: 'Due to logistical complications, we have decided not to join our friends Gogol Bordello on their upcoming European Tour. However, we will be heading to Europe in the coming months for both festivals and headline shows.'
It comes after the group performed a sold-out gig in London last week where Bobby Vylan said: 'We are a loving band, we love you lot for being here with us. We love the Palestinian people.
'Their strength, their resilience, their ability to keep on going in the face of it all is a beautiful and inspiring thing.
'So as hard as this week may have been for us, it has been nothing in comparison to what the Palestinian people are going through right now.'
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Daily Mail
30 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
BBC 'told John Torode to resign and blame mental health issues' after 'racism allegation' and he REFUSED: MasterChef star reveals he too was ruled against alongside co-host Gregg Wallace
John Torode was asked to resign from MasterChef by the BBC and blame mental health after he was accused of misconduct, it has been claimed. Gregg Wallace 's co-presenter came out last night to admit an allegation of using racist language had been upheld against him - but denied all wrongdoing. It has now emerged Mr Torode reportedly refused to quit when urged to stand down over the weekend. A source told The Sun the MasterChef star, 59, was asked by the BBC and production company Banijay to pretend he had mental health issues. Taking to Instagram last night, Mr Torode, who has hosted the BBC1 cooking show with Wallace since 2005, said he was 'shocked' by the allegation which stated he 'used racial language' in a social situation. A source close to Mr Torode told The Sun the presenter was at drinks after filming when he is alleged to have used an inappropriate racial term. It is claimed the witness said Mr Torode apologised instantly and 'was mortified' and he 'didn't use the term as a slur'. No one complained at the time, but the incident had been brought up during Wallace's inquiry, the source said. Mr Torode to Instagram to say: 'For the sake of transparency I confirm that I am the individual who is alleged to have used racial language on one occasion' The source went on to explain 'shockingly' Mr Torode was only made aware of the incident two weeks ago and was informed on Friday it would be upheld. Mr Torode was reportedly called by The BBC on Thursday night, followed by an email on Friday, asking him to step back and he was told to have his answer by Monday. The source said: 'They ambushed him, and it was suggested he quit due to the stress and scrutiny of the furore around the show. 'Obviously he was absolutely shocked and appalled and told them quite firmly he didn't have any mental health issues. To try to use mental health as a get-out clause seems incredibly low — and is also deeply unfair to those with genuine mental health trauma. 'John absolutely loves MasterChef, and doesn't want to lose his job because of an investigation into his co-star.' Mr Torode said in last night's social media post: 'Following publication of the Executive Summary of the Investigation into Gregg Wallace while working on MasterChef, I am aware of speculation that I am one of the two other individuals against whom an allegation has been upheld. 'For the sake of transparency I confirm that I am the individual who is alleged to have used racial language on one occasion. 'The allegation is that I did so sometime in 2018 or 2019, in a social situation, and that the person I was speaking with did not believe that it was intended in a malicious way and that I apologised immediately afterwards.' Mr Torode went on to say he had 'absolutely no recollection' of the incident and did 'not believe it happened'. He added: 'I want to be clear that I've always had the view that any racial language is wholly unacceptable in any environment. 'I'm shocked and saddened by the allegation as I would never wish to cause anyone any offence.' The allegation is understood to have been upheld in a report as part of a review into the behaviour of Mr Torode's former co-presenter Gregg Wallace. It comes after Wallace hit out at the BBC as the probe upheld more than half of the complaints of inappropriate behaviour against him, with the presenter warning he 'won't be the last' to be cancelled. The report into Wallace's behaviour on the cooking show upheld 45 out of 83 complaints made, including one count of 'unwanted physical contact', leaving the BBC to admit it 'could and should have' acted sooner on the MasterChef host. The damning investigation also found that two complaints about the behaviour of 'other people' were upheld. While apologising for any 'distress' he caused, Wallace has taken aim at the MasterChef broadcaster, which he claims has valued 'protecting its legacy' over 'protecting people'. Warning that it was 'dangerous' to be a 'working-class man with a direct manner' in the world of broadcasting, he said he 'won't be the last' to face cancellation. The presenter said: 'In the end, the BBC left me exposed to trial by media and the damage it leaves in its wake. 'To those who've shown kindness, thank you. It mattered. This has been brutal. For a working-class man with a direct manner, modern broadcasting has become a dangerous place. I was the headline this time. But I won't be the last. 'There will be more casualties if the BBC continues down this path, where protecting its legacy matters more than protecting people. For my part, with full legal support, I will consider my next move.' Patrick Holland, CEO of MasterChef production company Banijay, said he was 'extremely sorry' to those who had been impacted by Wallace's behaviour and added that the report makes the star's 'return to MasterChef untenable'. Wallace's statement, supplied to the PA news agency before being published on Instagram, noted that he 'never set out to harm or humiliate' anyone and that he was 'deeply sorry for any distress caused'. He said his 'late autism diagnosis' - which he received while he stepped back from MasterChef at the end of last year - has helped him to understand how he communicates and how he is perceived. He said: 'For eight months, my family and I have lived under a cloud. Trial by media, fuelled by rumour and clickbait. None of the serious allegations against me were upheld. 'I challenged the remaining issue of unwanted touching but have had to accept a difference in perception, and I am deeply sorry for any distress caused. It was never intended. 'I'm relieved that the Banijay report fully recognises that my behaviour changed profoundly in 2018. 'Some of my humour and language missed the mark. I never set out to harm or humiliate. I always tried to bring warmth and support to MasterChef, on screen and off. 'After nearly 20 years on the show, I now see that certain patterns, shaped by traits I've only recently begun to understand, may have been misread. I also accept that more could have been done, by others and by myself, to address concerns earlier. 'A late autism diagnosis has helped me understand how I communicate and how I'm perceived. I'm still learning. Banijay have given me great support, and I thank them.' Wallace's fiery statement comes just days after he said he would 'not go quietly' in a post which has since been deleted from his Instagram page. The BBC said the investigation into a 'substantial number of allegations of inappropriate conduct' over 19 years highlighted behaviour that falls below the corporation's values. 'Although the full extent of these issues were not known at the relevant time, opportunities were missed to address this behaviour - both by the production companies running MasterChef and the BBC,' a spokesman added. 'We accept more could and should have been done sooner.' The corporation would not confirm whether they will broadcast the series of MasterChef they filmed with him last Autumn. A spokesman for Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Downing Street welcomed the fact the BBC had 'severed ties' with Wallace, adding: 'We're clear that appropriate steps must be taken to ensure abuses of power are prevented from happening in the future.' The seven-month investigation, conducted by law firm Lewis Silkin, heard 83 allegations from 41 complainants against Wallace, all relating to his time on the cookery programme. It also found that 10 standalone allegations were made against 'other people', from 2012 to 2019, with two claims, relating to swearing and racist language being upheld. The majority of the allegations against Mr Wallace (94 per cent) related to behaviour which is said to have occurred between 2005 and 2018. Only one allegation was substantiated post 2018. The majority of substantiated allegations related to inappropriate sexual language and humour. A smaller number of allegations of other inappropriate language and being in a state of undress were also substantiated. One allegation of unwanted physical contact was substantiated. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said the allegations against Gregg Wallace were 'horrendous and appalling', and she welcomed the BBC's decision to end its association with the MasterChef presenter. The investigation team found evidence that during the period from 2005 to 2024, six complaints were raised with the production company and 6 with the BBC (four of which had also been raised with the production company). However, the investigator found that 'there was a tendency to address the concern informally on a case-by-case basis and not therefore consider each issue as additive to any prior allegations or to matters which had been observed by senior members of staff'. More formal action was taken by the production company in 2015 and the BBC in 2017. Wallace was diagnosed with autism during the time of the investigation and the report found that this was 'highly relevant' in the context of the findings. They said: 'Mr Wallace's neurodiversity diagnosis is considered highly relevant in the context of the findings made, particularly regarding his use of humour as a 'masking' technique and his difficulty in reading social cues. 'Mr Wallace accepts that his diagnosis may help to explain some of his actions, but he does not wish to hide behind it.' The categories of allegations were separated in seven categories which included inappropriate comments (jokes and innuendo), sexually explicit comments, being in a state of undress, sexualised comments made to or about someone, culturally insensitive / racist comments, bullying, unwanted physical contact. The majority of the substantiated allegations against Mr Wallace related to inappropriate sexual language and humour, however, a smaller number of allegations of other inappropriate language, being in a state of undress and unwelcome physical contact were also substantiated. Out of the 45 upheld complaints, 27 occurred between 2005 to 2011, 17 from 2012 to 2018 and just one from 2019 to 2024. Overall, the report concluded that 16 sexually explicit comments, 12 inappropriate comments, two sexualised comments to or about someone and four culturally insensitive/racist comments were made. One incident of unwelcome physical contact and three incidents of being in a state of undress were also substantiated. While, seven cases of bullying were upheld. Prior to 2016, the investigation found that there was little or no formal training or clear escalation procedures in place, leading to underreporting of inappropriate behaviour. It also added that concerns were not always flagged to Wallace meaning he was 'not necessarily aware that his behaviour had caused offence'. The report found that many contestants felt unable to speak out on MasterChef because 'their desire to do well in the competition, meant that they were unlikely to complain or allow their reactions to show.' Karen Baxter, the head of investigations at Lewis Silkin, who conducted the report did find that after the BBC warned Wallace about his behaviour in 2017 that he did change his behaviour. She said: 'There is evidence which shows that Mr Wallace took some proactive steps to modify his behaviour, seek guidance from colleagues on his choice of language, and to remove himself from work-related social situations.' Patrick Holland, CEO Banijay UK said: 'In earlier years, specifically prior to 2016 where the vast majority of these issues arose, it is clear that escalation procedures were not as robust as they should have been, and awareness of policies and procedures were lacking particularly amongst freelance staff. ' A spokesman for the BBC said: 'We welcome the publication of the findings by Lewis Silkin, following the investigation into the conduct of Gregg Wallace. 'In light of these findings, Banijay UK and the BBC have agreed Mr Wallace's return to MasterChef is untenable. The BBC has informed Mr Wallace we have no plans to work with him in future. 'The investigation details a substantial number of allegations of inappropriate conduct spanning 19 years. This behaviour falls below the values of the BBC and the expectations we have for anyone who works with or for us. 'Although the full extent of these issues were not known at the relevant time, opportunities were missed to address this behaviour - both by the production companies running MasterChef and the BBC. We accept more could and should have been done sooner. 'We want to thank all those who took part in the investigation, including those who first raised concerns directly with the BBC in November last year. We apologise to everyone who has been impacted by Mr Wallace's behaviour. 'Lewis Silkin's findings include two further allegations which were upheld, relating to other individuals. The BBC takes these findings very seriously and we have asked Banijay UK to take action to address these issues, which is underway. This will be completed as a priority. 'The BBC will not be commenting further at this stage, but we are clear we expect the highest standards of respect at work to be upheld on the production. 'At this stage we are not going to make a final decision on the broadcast of the series that was filmed last year. We know this is disappointing for fans of the show and those who took part and at the appropriate time Banijay UK will consult further with the amateur contestants. 'In April the BBC published a detailed response to an independent review of workplace culture, which reinforces expectations around behaviour and that we will act more decisively when standards are not met. This also requires all TV production partners to align with the Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority (CIISA) standards. 'We want to reaffirm, there is no place for the abuse of power, unacceptable behaviour or language at the BBC, or shows made for the BBC.' John Torode, The BBC and Banijay UK have been contacted for further comment on the 'mental health' allegation and whether Mr Torode had been asked - and refused - to step down.
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
BBC Review of Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone published
The BBC programme Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone breached one of the BBC's Editorial Guidelines on accuracy, by failing to disclose information about the child narrator's father's position within the Hamas-run government, a report published today finds. The Review finds no other breaches of the Editorial Guidelines, including any breaches of impartiality, and no evidence that outside interests 'inappropriately impacted on the programme". It added: 'that careful consideration of the requirements of due impartiality was undertaken in this project given the highly contested nature of the subject matter.' Peter Johnston, Director of Editorial Complaints and Reviews (who is independent of BBC News and Current Affairs), was asked to conduct a review into the programme after it was broadcast on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer in February this year, and then subsequently removed from BBC iPlayer. The programme was made for the BBC by the independent production company HOYO Films. BBC News, like all international journalistic organisations, continues to be prevented from entering Gaza to report on the ground. The film was narrated by a 13-year-old boy, whose narration was scripted. Mr Johnston's review finds that the programme breached Editorial Guideline 3.3.17 on accuracy, which deals with misleading audiences. His report describes the background on the narrator's father as 'critical information', which was not shared with the BBC before broadcast. 'Regardless of how the significance or otherwise of the Narrator's father's position was judged, the audience should have been informed about this,' his report says. While the Review does not consider that HOYO Films intentionally misled the BBC about the narrator's father's position, it finds the independent production company bears most responsibility for this failure. However, it concludes that the BBC also bears some responsibility. The BBC takes this finding very seriously, acknowledging it has ultimate editorial responsibility for the programme as broadcast. As part of their comprehensive work, the Review team identified and considered 5000 documents from a 10-month production period, as well as 150 hours of material filmed during production, to inform Mr Johnson's conclusions. The BBC is taking fair, clear and appropriate action, based on the Review's findings to ensure accountability. We will not comment further on any individual confidential processes. A number of steps will also now be taken to prevent the breach being repeated. BBC Director-General Tim Davie says: "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." Statement from the BBC Board "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." Statement from HOYO Films "We take the findings in Peter Johnston's report on Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone extremely seriously and apologise for the mistake that resulted in a breach of the Editorial Guidelines. 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. Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone remains a vital account, and our contributors, who have no say in the conflict, deserve to have their voices heard.' Findings Narration When the programme first aired on 17 February 2025, three members of the independent production company knew of the father's position, but no one within the BBC knew this at that time. The Review finds this failure to bring the information to the BBC's attention was a 'significant oversight by the production company'. But the report also criticises the BBC team for not being 'sufficiently proactive' with initial editorial checks and for a 'lack of critical oversight of unanswered or partially answered questions' ahead of broadcast. The programme should not have been signed off as compliant without these questions having been fully and properly answered. The 30-page report concludes that Peter Johnston's review saw no evidence 'to support a suggestion that the narrator's father or family influenced the content of the programme in any way' and that the narrator's scripted contribution to the programme did not constitute a breach of due impartiality. However, the report notes that in the circumstances and with the benefit of hindsight, the use of this child narrator for this programme – while not a breach of the Editorial Guidelines – was 'not appropriate.' Financials A detailed financial audit of the programme, which informed Mr Johnston's review, finds there was no reasonable basis to conclude that anyone engaged or paid in connection with the programme was subject to financial sanctions. The Review concludes there was no evidence to suggest programme funds were spent on anything other than reasonable, production-related expenses. The financial audit found that a disturbance fee of c. £795 was paid for the narrator. The Review finds that this payment was not 'outside of the range of what might be reasonable in the context'. BBC News Action Plan Mr Johnston's report concludes with a series of recommendations which have been accepted in full by the BBC. BBC News has published an Action Plan in response. BBC News CEO Deborah Turness says: At the heart of this programme were powerful and important stories that need to be told. But it's clear that in this programme we made a significant mistake. "This is why we have drawn up a robust action plan to make sure all of Peter Johnston's recommendations are implemented. "Our audiences deserve the highest possible standards of accuracy from the BBC, and we are strengthening our editorial oversight to ensure that we deliver this for them. "We remain committed to reporting from Gaza, despite the fact that international journalists are not allowed in." The Action Plan includes: HOYO Films and the future of the programme - Given the serious editorial breach identified in the production of Gaza: How To Survive A Warzone, we do not think it is appropriate to reinstate the programme in its current form to iPlayer. However, as we said at the time, it is important to tell the story of what is happening in Gaza, despite BBC News being prevented from reporting independently on the ground. We remain keen to tell the stories of those featured in the documentary and will now explore the possibility of doing this through re-edited and re-versioned shorter films for archive on iPlayer. This will require us to work through difficult and sensitive issues with the independent production company, HOYO Films – involving compliance, including translation, context, consent and the safeguarding of those who took part in the documentary. Elsewhere, the BBC has no current or future planned commissions with HOYO Films. BBC Accountability – The BBC is taking fair, clear and appropriate action, based on the findings, to ensure accountability. We will not comment further on any individual confidential processes. Language - The BBC will issue new editorial guidance to programme makers on the use and translation of the word 'Yahud/ Yahudi' into English, following the recommendation in Peter Johnston's Review. Going forward, programme makers should default to using the literal translation of those terms as 'Jews/ Jewish'. It will still be possible to use a different translation, but this would need to be referred up to senior executive editor level and the programme should make clear to the audience wherever possible why they deviated from the literal translation. Peter Johnston's report also recommends that 'Yahud/ Yahudi' be looked at more comprehensively, and with external input, through the forthcoming thematic review of BBC Middle East coverage agreed by the BBC Board. Narration - There will also be new editorial guidance that careful consideration must be given to the use of narrators in the area of contested current affairs programmes. The narrator will be subject to a higher level of scrutiny, with assurance required that their own background, connections and/ or viewpoints will not put either them or the BBC in a difficult position or raise questions of impartiality. A new leadership role in News documentaries and current affairs – BBC News will create a new Director role on the BBC News Board. This new role will have strategic leadership of our long form output across BBC News. We will advertise the role in the next seven days. Enhanced editorial controls – A 'First Gate' process will mean no high-risk long form programmes can become a formal commission until all potential compliance considerations are considered and listed, including rigorous social media and background checks. These will be tracked through to the 'Final Gate' process, which was introduced earlier this year and will now be made permanent. Going forward, we will also embed a dedicated senior BBC News executive producer inside the production team for every high-risk long form film produced by an independent supplier for BBC News. BBC Press Office Notes to Editors The Terms of Reference of the review were to: investigate how and why the BBC came to transmit the Programme without the family connections of the Narrator having been accurately established; investigate the circumstances in which payments were made for the contributions of the Narrator and the method by which those payments were made; look at any additional concerns raised in relation to the Programme's expenditure, beyond those identified at paragraph (b) above, following the findings of a wider audit commissioned into the finances of the Programme; look at any additional concerns raised in relation to the Programme's compliance with the BBC's editorial standards, including issues around the use of language, translation and continuity, and due diligence conducted on other individuals involved in the Programme; identify which of the BBC's Editorial Guidelines applied to the Programme and the extent to which any were not met; and look at any issues raised in relation to the Programme's compliance with the BBC's child safeguarding policies and procedures. Facts and figures on the Review: The Review team considered over 5,000 documents and Peter conducted interviews with ten individuals (including interviewing some individuals more than once). He also requested and received written submissions in response to questions from some of the individuals interviewed. The Review team also conducted an editorial review of over 150 hours of rushes, with help as needed from a fluent Arabic speaker. All of this work has been done with great care, which takes time. It should be noted that the production process of the documentary was ten months, which also indicates the volume of material the team had first to identify and then review. The total cost of the review is approximately £98,500 (exclusive of VAT) as at the date of the report's publication. Documents
South Wales Guardian
an hour ago
- South Wales Guardian
Diane Morgan says Mandy season four will bring ‘more violence and catastrophe'
The 49-year old, who created and wrote the show, will reprise her role in the comedy series to play the chaotic and jobless Mandy Carter whose adventures typically end in disaster. The fourth season, which is expected to air on July 21, will see more of Mandy's misadventures. Speaking about the new season, Morgan said audiences can expect: 'More of the same Mandy madness really, with perhaps less gurning but more sheer bloody violence and catastrophe. 'Mandy is still being forced to do jobs that she doesn't like and isn't any good at. Which I think everyone can relate to. 'She hasn't evolved at all, that's what makes her charming. She's learned nothing. Just keeps making the same mistakes, like all of us.' Speaking about the inspiration for the obscure situations Mandy finds herself in, Morgan added: 'They're all based on absolute fact. A lot of them are inspired by things that have happened to me. 'I've had a number of jobs that I've been fired from. Some I haven't even lasted an hour in. Acting's about the only job I've lasted more than a week in. So I have to stick with it. Morgan also said the make-up products used throughout production was entirely 'cruelty free'. She said: 'We decided to use only cruelty-free make-up products that haven't been tested on animals. We warned all the actors what we were doing and none of them had a problem with it. 'I think there should be a special logo at the end of the show to prove it. Most of the actors were amazed that some products aren't cruelty-fee. Some, well-known brands still test on animals and most people aren't aware of that.' The pilot episode aired in 2019 and was followed by its first season which consisted of six episodes plus a Christmas special which was transmitted in 2020. Speaking about how audiences received the show, Morgan added: 'It's complete surprise to me. I think it would just be a pilot that would disappear without trace… Some viewers have reacted to it in unusual ways. 'I've heard that at least four of them have turned vegetarian after watching an episode of the last series where Mandy gets a job in an abattoir, so that's good. Especially for cows.' Morgan is also best known for starring in BBC series Motherland and the mockumentary show, Cunk On Earth where she plays the ill-informed investigative reporter, Philomena Cunk – a character who was originated from Charlie Brooker's television review programme Weekly Wipe. In the series, Philomena is joined by experts who answer her questions about the progression of society as she tries to uncover humankind's greatest achievements and discover how humans came to be. The first episode of the new season of Mandy will air on BBC Two at 10pm.
