The Watchdog series is to be axed, but it will become a segment on The One Show
Image Source/ BBC
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The BBC are said to be pulling the consumer rights programme after 40 years, but are planning to have a Watchdog segment, presented by existing co-hosts Matt Allwright and Nikki Fox, on the magazine programme rather than getting rid of the format completely.
A TV source said:
‘The BBC is being forced to make cuts and unfortunately the bosses have decided they cannot justify keeping Watchdog as a full series, twice a year’.
But the BBC believe the move to The One Show will be a benefit because members of the public can address their consumer concerns “throughout the year” rather than on the two series of the programme annually.
A BBC source added to The Sun newspaper:
‘Rather than being limited to having their concerns addressed in two limited series a year, viewers can now contact the Watchdog investigations team throughout the year’.
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Carla-Maria Lawson, the BBC’s Head of Daytime and Early Peak, admitted it was “fitting” the show is returning to be a segment of a magazine show.
It was first seen in September 1980 as a pre-recorded weekly feature on BBC One magazine programme Nationwide, presented by Hugh Scully.
He later hosted the segment on Sixty Minutes until that ended in 1984, and the BBC then opted to make a standalone version of Watchdog in 1985.
The news comes after it was revealed last month that The Victoria Derbyshire Show is being axed by the BBC.
The TV presenter later revealed she found out the popular weekday current affairs programme – which has been broadcast on BBC Two and the BBC News Channel since 2015 – was being pulled by reading the news.
She wrote on Twitter:
‘Absolutely devastated at the plan to end our programme (which I first learned about in yesterday’s Times).
‘I’m unbelievably proud of what our team and our show have achieved in under 5 years breaking tonnes of original stories (which we were asked to do); attracting a working class, young, diverse audience that BBC radio & TV news progs just don’t reach (which we were asked to do); & smashing the digital figures (which we were asked to do)…
‘I’m gutted particularly for our brilliant, young, ambitious, talented team – love ’em. And for all those people we gave a voice to. Love them too. (sic)’.
Her social media response comes after BBC News media editor Amol Rajan revealed the show is set to be axed in an apparent cost-cutting measure because the outlay for airing the show on a “linear channel” was “deemed too high”.
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