How they select a ‘balanced’ audience

THE BBC claims the Question Time audience is selected ‘with great care’.

On its website, it says applicants are questioned in detail about their views and ‘the producers select a broad and balanced cross-section’.

But the broadcaster has previously come under scrutiny over the process.

Earlier this month, a Tory-voting businessman said he applied at least six times to be in the audience of Question Time to no avail. David Stoneman, 60, from Houghton, Cambridgeshire, then decided to alter his application to see if he could get on the show with different views.

The business consultant sent an application saying he was a militant trade unionist train driver who was opposed to fracking. To his surprise, he soon received an invitation to appear on the programme in Peterborough in January.