BBC ‘spent £5,000 on holiday for star and boyfriend’
THE BBC blew thousands of pounds on a holiday for actress Sophie okonedo and her boyfriend, it has been revealed. The broadcaster used licence fee payers’ money to pay for a pair of business class flights, so that they could go whale-watching and wine tasting in South Africa’s Cape Town.
Miss okonedo had just finished filming Undercover with co- star Adrian Lester, a major new BBC1 police drama which started last night.
The show is the first British drama to feature two black actors in leading roles, but what was supposed to be a breakthrough for diversity on screen is now being overshadowed by the spending scandal.
The BBC flew Miss okonedo’s boyfriend – a mystery man known only as John – out to meet her after the shoot in Johannesburg, so that they could share the romantic break.
Afterwards, it flew them back to London business class, all at licence fee payers’ expense.
The BBC would not disclose how much it spent on the tickets, but two one-way business class flights from Cape Town to London cost around £5,000 on British Airways – the equivalent cost of 34 television licences.
Yesterday, MPs attacked the BBC for handing out ‘ super perks’ at a time when it is supposed to be cutting costs.
The broadcaster has already slashed its sports budget as it battles to plug a funding black hole of £800million a year.
Conservative MP Andrew Bridgen said: ‘At the same time as the BBC are claiming that they can’t find any more cost savings in order to justify the continued criminalisation of the licence fee, they’re pro- viding super-perks for their stars and their stars’ family and friends.
‘This will deeply, deeply depress fair-minded licence fee payers.’
The BBC admitted that it had lavished the money on Miss okonedo, 47, and her boyfriend.
But it defended the spending as something the corporation has done numerous times.
‘In line with industry practice, the BBC will on occasion agree to pay for a spouse or partner of a leading actor to travel in premium economy when they’re filming abroad owing to the unsociable and unpredictable hours actors work over long periods,’ a spokesman said. ‘ In this instance, Sophie requested that instead of her flying business and her partner flying premium economy, they would both fly out premium economy and back in business so that they could fly back together at no extra cost to the production.’
Miss okonedo, who has a grown up daughter, Aoife, from a previous relationship, paid for her hotel herself.
But even this was organised through a production company engaged by the BBC to manage its shoot in South Africa.
The BBC refused a Freedom of Information Act request for details of its spending on the family members and partners of other actors, citing ‘commercial confidentiality’.
‘Depress licence fee payers’