Awkward moment BBC’s Justin Webb interrupts ex-colleague Will Gompertz

Justin Webb cut off the BBC’s former arts editor Will Gompertz live on air today after he suggested cutting 20 of the corporation’s middle managers to save the BBC Singers choir.

Mr Gompertz told Radio 4’s Today programme the cash could be found by axing BBC jobs, insisting that licence fee payers would not notice they were gone.

Mr Webb then cut him off, saying that they were ‘out of time’ – but suggested that he would have done it anyway.

Last month the BBC put on hold controversial plans to axe its BBC Singers choir after the moves sparked outcry from top musicians. But they said that some other funding method needs to be found.

Mr Gombertz is now artistic director of the Barbican theatre but was once employed as the BBC’s £150,000-a-year arts editor despite having no journalistic experience. He needed three months training to get him ready to go on air.

Mr Gompertz (pictured) told Radio 4’s Today programme the cash could be found by axing BBC jobs, insisting that licence fee payers would not notice they were gone

He said: ‘I was at the BBC for long enough, and recently enough, to know I could get rid of 20 posts in middle management and you wouldn’t notice any difference’.

Cutting across him, Mr Webb said: ‘Oh right. I’m going to have to cut you off there Will, for sure. We are actually out of time, but we should be out of time anyway. Nice to speak to you again Will, all the best, bye bye’. 

The corporation said it has ‘received approaches from a number of organisations’ that were ‘offering alternative funding models’ for the group, which is the UK’s only full-time professional chamber choir.

The BBC said as a result of this it had agreed with the Musician’s Union that it would ‘suspend the proposal’ to close the group, while ‘we actively explore these options’. It also confirmed the in-house choir will perform at the BBC Proms this year.

A statement from the BBC said: ‘We know that the BBC Singers are much loved across the classical community and their professionalism, quality and standing has never been in question.

Mr Gombertz is now artistic director of the Barbican theatre but was once employed as the BBC’s £150,000-a-year arts editor despite having no journalistic experience. He needed three months training to get him ready to go on air

‘We have said throughout these were difficult decisions. Therefore, we want to fully explore the options that have been brought to us to see if there is another way forward.

‘The BBC still needs to make savings and still plans to invest more widely in the future of choral singing across the UK.’

The plans had sparked a backlash, with over 140,000 signing a petition urging the BBC to reverse its decision.

It was also claimed famous conductor Sir Simon Rattle might boycott the Proms in protest at the planned disbanding of the choir. He was said to among a number of top figures in the classical music world opposing the plans.

In the previous announcement, the BBC also said it was going to reduce salaried orchestral posts across the BBC English Orchestras by around 20 per cent.

The corporation said it will continue to engage with the MU and other unions about the proposals on the BBC’s English Orchestras.

The broadcaster’s statement added: ‘We are committed to meaningful consultation and to avoiding compulsory redundancies, wherever possible.’ Jo Laverty, Musician’s Union national organiser of orchestras, said: ‘The weeks since the BBC’s announcement have impacted all the individuals affected in the most brutal way.

‘We are right behind every member affected, and as we enter negotiation we will be consulting our members in the Singers and BBC orchestras to ensure the outcome is as positive as possible for them all.’