Lost the plot!
Gardeners’ World fans blast BBC after show is ditched for women’s football clash
FOR 50 years Gardeners’ World has been a constant in the BBC’s schedules.
But the show’s loyal fans are up in arms today after it was taken off air in favour of women’s football.
The popular series, first shown in 1968, is being replaced by England’s World Cup qualifier against Wales at 7pm tonight.
And the news gets worse for gardening fans, with the programme set to temporarily lose its regular BBC Two Friday night slot to the World Snooker Championships, which start later this month.
Gardeners’ World viewers have expressed their outrage over the scheduling decision.
Toby Topp said: “Sounds sexist but a flagship show should not be moved for a women’s football game. I bet the viewing ratings are higher than this game.”
Galling
Jean Hood added: “It shouldn’t be moved for men’s footy either. Or any other sport. Spring is probably the most important season for gardening.”
Mary Denton fumed: “When is the BBC going to realise Gardeners’ World is not a movable feast? Put your sport on BBC Four if you must show it at all, but stop depriving a huge audience of its favourite programme.”
Presenter Monty Don, 62, has also been a vocal critic of the BBC’s “galling” stance on giving preference to live sport, regularly re-tweeting complaints from viewers.
The show has a regular audience of 2.5 million viewers. In August, more than four million people tuned in to see England women play the Netherlands on Channel 4. A similar number are expected to watch tonight’s crunch showdown. A BBC spokesman said: “Gardeners’ World is a key part of the BBC Two schedule and wherever possible we try to minimise disruption to output. But our commitment to live sport, also enjoyed by the BBC Two audience, does sometimes mean that programming is subject to change.”