Vorderman is dumped by the BBC over her anti-Tory rants
Maybe Mr Lineker should take note!
CAROL Vorderman was yesterday axed from her BBC radio show after she refused to tone down her anti-Tory social media posts.
The former Countdown star revealed yesterday she had been told to leave her job at BBC Radio Wales after she breached the corporation’s guidelines.
The 62-year-old said she was ‘not prepared’ to stop airing her ‘strong beliefs’ on X, formerly Twitter, and Instagram.
Ms Vorderman has used social media to launch regular attacks on the Conservatives. She has called for the ‘dismantling’ of the Tory party ‘vote by vote’ and branded ministers a ‘lying bunch of greedy, corrupt, destructive, hateful, divisive, gaslighting crooks’.
BBC sources last night said the situation had become ‘entirely unsustainable’. It is understood it would have taken action had she not chosen to leave.
Ms Vorderman, who has hosted the Saturday morning show for four years, has previously been accused of ‘flagrantly breaching’ BBC impartiality rules. She has increasingly found herself in the spotlight for her attacks, including on veterans’ affairs minister Johnny Mercer and party chairman Greg Hands.
In a statement, Ms Vorderman said: ‘ The BBC recently introduced new social media guidelines, which I respect.
‘However, despite my show being light-hearted with no political content, it was explained to me that, as it is a weekly show in my name, the new guidelines would apply to all and any content that I post all year round.
‘ Since those non- negotiable changes to my radio contract were made, I’ve ultimately found that I’m not prepared to lose my voice on social media, change who I am, or lose the ability to express the strong beliefs I hold about the political turmoil this country finds itself in.’
She added: ‘My decision has been to continue to criticise the current UK Government for what it has done to the country which I love, and I’m not prepared to stop.
I was brought up to fight for what I believe in, and I will carry on.
‘ Consequently I have now breached the new guidelines and BBC Wales management have decided I must leave. We each must make our decisions.’
The BBC launched new social media rules in September for its presenters.
That was sparked by an impartiality row earlier this year caused by Gary Lineker, when he compared language used in the Government’s migration crackdown to Nazi Germany.
While Ms Vorderman, as a nonnews freelance presenter, did not have to uphold BBC impartiality on social media, she was still required to ‘respect civility in public discourse’ and not bring the corporation into ‘disrepute’ with her outbursts. It is understood the BBC has had concerns about her posts for some time and had talked to her about moderating her behaviour.
According to sources, after a period where she appeared to have calmed down her tweets, bosses felt she had reverted to her previous behaviour. The former Channel 4 host earlier this month on X questioned if the Tory party is the ‘sleaziest in history’.
In response to a recent tweet by Home Secretary Suella Braverman, Ms Vorderman said the ‘lawabiding majority’ wanted to stop the ‘vile government clinging on to power for a day longer’.
In recent months, she has also been in an X feud with Mr Mercer and his wife Felicity, who called the star a ‘celebrity attack dog’.
Ms Vorderman had called the couple the ‘most petulant, childish pair of the week’.
Last month it was reported that RAF bosses had considered stripping her of a military title, as an honorary group captain, over her posts. Air force officials had discussed ‘hanging her out to dry’, though ultimately she did not face any sanctions.
In September, Ms Vorderman also deleted a series of posts about party chairman Mr Hands after suggesting improper behaviour over Covid contracts.
Tory MP Craig Mackinlay said that when it came to Ms Vorderman, you do not find a ‘more rabid anti- Conservative inhabiting Twitter these days’. He added that she had ‘flagrantly crossed any boundary of impartiality’.
A BBC spokesman said: ‘Carol has been a presenter on BBC Radio Wales since 2018. We’d like to thank her for her work and contribution to the station over the past five years.’