Antiques Roadshow boss quits after lover’s departure
PRESENTED by softly spoken Fiona Bruce, family favourite Antiques Roadshow conveys an atmosphere of genial curiosity to its millions of Sunday evening viewers. Behind the scenes, however, it appears to be a very different story. I can reveal that the BBC show’s boss, Simon Shaw, has dramatically resigned after his boyfriend, Lloyd Farmar, 55, was rumoured to have been forced off the programme. Shaw had drafted the interior designer in to his production team in 2004. However, Farmar left the programme two months ago after a string of complaints were allegedly made about his behaviour on set.
‘For many years, there’s been a great deal of unhappiness there,’ a source tells me. ‘Lloyd was rude to people.
‘A number of them have been incredibly unhappy. They made official complaints and the powers-that-be have swept the thing under the carpet. How the BBC allowed it to happen, God only knows.’
Executive producer Shaw has worked since 1979 on Antiques Roadshow, which returns for its 40th anniversary series next weekend. Cardiff-born Farmar had previously worked on the BBC makeover programme Home Front, of which Shaw was also producer.
The Antiques Roadshow source claims of the couple: ‘Basically, they had a fiefdom and a power game between them. A lot of nice people have gone.’ A BBC spokesman confirms that Shaw has quit the programme, but refuses to comment on Farmar’s departure or the allegations of rudeness.
‘We can confirm Simon has decided to leave the show,’ the spokesman says.
‘Antiques Roadshow is a much-loved programme enjoyed by over five million viewers each week and we would like to thank him for his creativity and passion over the years which has made it such a success. He leaves the show in great shape.’
Shaw and Farmar could not be reached for comment yesterday.