This week on the BBC: rows over Gaza, alleged bullying and Kneecap
More than 200 BBC staff have signed a letter saying the corporation's refusal to air Gaza: Medics Under Fire shows 'the BBC is not reporting 'without fear or favour' when it comes to Israel'. One insider whispered: 'The BBC's news coverage of Gaza has been terrible. And then to drop this film for no good reason beyond upsetting the Israelis shows utter cowardice by management.' In a statement, the BBC said it was 'determined to report all aspects of the conflict in the Middle East impartially and fairly'. Broadcasters are now battling to air the documentary after the BBC handed back rights to the independent production company Basement Films.
Breakfast TV host Naga Munchetty may have earned a reputation for fortitude by standing up for junior female staff in the face of a 'tyrannical' show editor, but she was outgunned in the latest vicious BBC briefing war. While pressure mounted over Richard Frediani's alleged 'aggressive management style', the Sun claimed Munchetty made a 'crude quip about a sex act' off-air at Radio 5 Live in 2022 and had allegedly been reprimanded for bullying a junior staffer. Rumours are that Munchetty has designs on the LBC weekend breakfast show but these have been hampered by concerns over her 'reputation for being tough'.
Like a JCB churning through a field of daisies, JD Vance has joined BlueSky, the social network for lefties exhausted by the fury of X. After being temporarily expelled due to verification issues (no one could believe it was actually him), he posted a rage-baity thread about trans youth to prove it absolutely was. Within hours he had been blocked by more than 110,000 accounts. The daisies fight back.
How grateful Martine Croxall must be that BBC bosses are 'intensely relaxed' and backing her after she changed an autocue that mentioned 'pregnant people' to say simply 'women'. Presumably they're the same bosses who just four months ago reached a settlement with her over claims she was among those being discriminated against for their age and sex.
It was perhaps not the publicity the BBC might have wished for when Kneecap's Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, newly bailed after a court appearance on terror charges for flying a flag supporting Hezbollah, told fans: 'For anybody going to Glastonbury, you can see us there at 4pm on the Saturday. If you can't be there, we'll be on the BBC.' Insiders say Kneecap's set will be aired after the event, rather than live, and only if there are no guideline breaches.
Greatest Hits Radio is to rebroadcast the full ten hours of Live Aid, 40 years on, despite criticism of the event's harmful impact on perceptions of Africa. One 1985 participant unlikely to be tuning in is the Rolling Stones' Keith Richards, 81, who later questioned the organisers' motives: 'I know the music business, and it isn't that pure.'
A profile of Mark Zuckerberg in the Financial Times reveals Trump discussed the Meta boss taking a role in the White House. Meta staff apparently refer to their boss as 'Maga Mark', although the firm's chief technology officer insists the world is seeing 'authentic' Zuckerberg. How fortunate this chimes with Trump's agenda, just as Meta begs for backing in potentially catastrophic regulatory and legal battles.
Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month Subscribe
Snout line: Got a story? Write to tips@newstatesman.co.uk
[See also: Jeff Bezos's Venetian wedding is a pageant of bad taste]
Related
This article appears in the 25 Jun 2025 issue of the New Statesman, State of Emergency
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Metro
26 minutes ago
- Metro
BBC drama that 'perfectly encapsulated grief' celebrated by fans 9 years later
It's been almost a decade since Phoebe Waller-Bridge's groundbreaking BBC drama Fleabag offered one of the most poignant explorations of grief on TV. The Emmy-winning show started as a one-woman show at Edinburgh Fringe Festival before making the leap to the small screen in 2016, with the first episode airing on July 21. The fourth-wall-breaking show stars Phoebe as the titular Fleabag who is navigating the complicated and sudden loss of her best friend Boo (Jenny Rainsford). As she navigates this trauma, we meet the people who make up her small, and chaotic, world, including her uptight sister Claire (Sian Clifford), her snooty stepmum Matrigna (Olivia Colman) and, later on in the show, the man she falls in love with but can never have – Andrew Scott's (Hot) Priest. The two-season comedy has built a loyal fanbase over the years and, with its regular inclusion in people's favourite shows of all time, it is also constantly being discovered by new viewers. Praised for its wit and surprising depth, fans are reminiscing on just what made the show so good – from its fundamental understanding of bereavement to its ability to flesh out flawed characters. During one scene, when Fleabag is describing the heaviness of Boo's loss, she explains: 'I don't know what to do with it. With all the love I have for her.I don't know where to put it now.' Sharing this moment on X, user @moralgrey simply wrote: 'When fleabag perfectly encapsulated grief.' Another user, @weirdnelipit, added: 'genuinely, my favourite one was this whole boo and fleabag conversation after her mom died, 'Like it sparked a new layer of understanding of grief & all of our unconditional love for someone & the closest people we have will always be on our side.. a love that will always remain.' 'Thank you Fleabag for one of the most beautiful depictions of grief,' chaoticguitar echoed. 'Fleabag summed up a lot of the grief we feel after a loved ones death in this scene,' Layal Shakeir agreed. Over on Reddit, fans were in agreement about the show's impact. User sgt-snuggles wrote: 'I didn't truly see it on first watch but Fleabag really has such a unique and real portrayal of grief. When I rewatched it after losing someone close I felt like I was seeing it through different lenses. 'The desperation to be close to people while pushing away real closeness, the fear of confronting how everything truly feels, it's so real and beautifully shown in such a deep yet silly manner.' 'The spiraling, confusing, messy grief is so well displayed in Fleabag with Boo. It's cold and snowy out, so I'm going to make beef stew and watch Fleabag and cry and drink wine,' soup-creature echoed. This was not the only moment fans were profoundly moved by. For many, the highlight of the show is the portrayal of sisterhood in all its messiness, and more importantly, all its unconditional love. 'I'm so grateful for the depiction of Claire and Fleabag's relationship — the ugliness and heartbreak and enormity of love and care. how different they're & how they choose to stick with each other,' @apparitionow said. In one scene, Claire tells Fleabag that she's the only person she would run through an airport for in a bid to do a grand gesture (typically reserved for romance). 'Portrayal of the sibling relationship in Fleabag still remains one of my favourite aspects of the show. As someone who has always struggled to verbalise her love for her sibling, this bit was like a eureka moment for me,' d_majumdar92. Other highlights include the heartwrenching exchange in which Fleabag confesses her love for Priest, only to be told 'it'll pass'. Or when Priest is the only one to 'ask her a question in 45 minutes'. Or when he's the only one who can break the fourth wall with her. For @alison_epp, these moments were an 'absolute surprising and beautiful way to show someone truly being seen'. More Trending Another fan shared their love for the scene when Fleabag is talking with an older woman who has been through menopause, Belinda, who delivers a layered monologue about 'women being born with pain built in' and the freedom you find in your later years. If you haven't watched Fleabag, then let this new milestone be your sign to watch it. You won't regret it. View More » Fleabag is available to stream on BBC iPlayer now. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: BBC's Celebrity Traitors is 'blowing a whopping £760,000 on cast salaries' MORE: Rob Brydon admits major blunder he made that almost ruined BBC series MORE: The most 'absurd' show on the BBC just dropped 6 new episodes
Leader Live
30 minutes ago
- Leader Live
Oti Mabuse ‘delighted' as she receives Freedom of the City of London
The 34-year-old South African has been recognised for her 'significant achievements in contemporary dance and her charitable work'. She has had a successful dancing career, winning the South African Latin American championships eight times and is one of the most successful professionals to have appeared on BBC's Strictly Come Dancing, having won the show two years in a row. To be following in the footsteps of legends of the arts and entertainment industry, including Sir Matthew Bourne, Dame Judi Dench, Sir Cameron Mackintosh, Giles Terera, and Strictly's very own Len Goodman, feels quite remarkable Mabuse, who attended a ceremony at Guildhall with family and friends on Wednesday, said: 'I am delighted to have received the Freedom of the City of London for my dance and charitable work, and I am very grateful to Chris Hayward and Keith Bottomley for nominating me. 'To be following in the footsteps of legends of the arts and entertainment industry, including Sir Matthew Bourne, Dame Judi Dench, Sir Cameron Mackintosh, Giles Terera, and Strictly's very own Len Goodman, feels quite remarkable.' Mr Hayward is the policy chairman of the City of London Corporation, while Mr Bottomley is the sheriff-elect of the City of London. Former Strictly head judge Goodman died in 2023 aged 78. Mabuse won Strictly in 2019 and 2020 and has also appeared on The Greatest Dancer as a dance captain and as a judge on ITV's Dancing on Ice. Mr Hayward said: 'Having won a clutch of dance titles during her career and a place in our hearts, mostly, down to her appearances on the hugely popular 'Strictly', I am sure that Oti's Freedom will be welcomed warmly by her many admirers. 'Away from the dance world, her work with Unicef to raise awareness of the support needed by premature babies and their mothers, is highly commendable, and I am very happy to join my colleague, Keith Bottomley, in nominating Oti for the Freedom.' Mr Bottomley said: 'As well as impressing us on the dance floor, Oti Mabuse's charitable work with women and young people in communities across London, and overseas with Unicef, deserves our admiration and respect. 'It has been a pleasure to nominate Oti to be admitted into the Freedom, and I am sure that she will have very happy memories of today for many years to come.' The tradition of the freedom of the city is believed to date back to 1237. Past recipients include comedian, actor and writer Sir Lenny Henry and Lady Mary Peters, who won an Olympic gold medal in the athletics pentathlon in 1972, as well as Sir Chris Hoy and his wife, Lady Sarra Hoy.
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
BBC star Ore Oduba admits he's been an addict all his life as he comes clean
TV presenter and former Strictly Come Dancing star Ore Oduba has shared a lengthy message as he celebrates over a year of sobriety and says he doesn't recognise his former self Ore Oduba is celebrating being "sober" for over a year after admitting he "spent most of [his] life as an addict". The TV presenter, 39, described how he had lived with addiction "silently, secretly for decades", confessing that his life may have been "ruined" if he had not been diagnosed or had not sought therapy. Now, as he confirms he hopes to share the details of his addiction publicly one day, he has said he doesn't recognise his former self. Taking to Instagram, the former Strictly Come Dancing star shared a snap of himseld sitting on a train seat with his left hand facing upwards as it covered his mouth and nose. He captioned the upload: "Until recently, I had spent most of my life as an addict. Shame was into woven into my addictive behaviours, they went hand-in-hand. "Through therapy and finally admitting to myself that I'd suffered from addiction pretty much my entire life I'm so happy to share I've been 'sober' for over a year. If that is indeed how to describe my case." He went on:"Despite living with it silently, secretly for decades.. undiagnosed and untreated it might well in the end have ruined my life. Funnily enough I didn't recognise the timing until I started reading this unbelievable book by @annaliehowling 'UNAPOLOGETIC'. "I devoured it in a day... And while her expertise is on shame, pretty much every word Annalise said resonated so deeply with me that I realised I'd actually forgotten I'd made so much progress in the last 12 months. "I'm glad I don't even recognise that version of me anymore. (sic)" Ore says that he had recently opened up to pals about his addiction struggles and hopes it would help him share his story publicly. He says he wants to do so to help others who are trying to become sober. He added: "I've started speaking about my addiction to friends recently and the more I open up about it the more compelled I feel to share it publicly one day. "There comes a point where once I've dealt with my demons, the most selfish thing I could do is keep it to myself. I know it'll have the power to help a lot of people. (sic)" Taking to his Instagram with a six-minute reel, Ore was emotional as he confessed to feeling "ashamed and embarrassed" after falling for a scam. He had previously worked with BBC for their documentary series Claimed and Shamed, which helped people avoid being scammed. However, he was fooled when he was contacted by someone pretending to be podcaster-and-author Mel Robbins. It came after he said on ITV1's Loose Women that the philosophy in her 2024 book The Let Them Theory had "changed his life". He said that he initially thought he was speaking Mel and told her "everything". However, it turned out that Ore was actually speaking to a con-artist. After his tell-all video, he was inundated with praise from people who could resonate with his experience. In his lengthy caption on sobriety, Ore added: "I can't believe the reaction to the video I posted at the weekend about getting scammed. This is one of the personal pictures I sent to them. "And actually many of your comments talked about 'shame' and reminding me not to feel it. 'It's them, not you' sort of thing... totally right, and so kind, thank you. "I have such a much better relationship with that word now than I used to but it's interesting how it still finds a way to knock at your door. I did feel ashamed of myself for being scammed, yes... but I know now how to deal with those moments of doubt and I pop that little bout of negative talk into a bin bag and throw it in the trash. (sic)"
