BBC chiefs face backlash over use of licence fee cash to fund lewd and puerile podcasts

BBC chiefs were facing a backlash last night for using licence fee payers’ money to fund lewd and puerile podcasts.

There were calls for the corporation’s new chairman to tackle the issue after the offensive shows aimed at young audiences on its BBC Sounds app came to light.

They include graphic discussions of people wetting themselves, details of explicit social media messages and crass conversations about the Prime Minister’s genitals.

Other podcasts, which are peppered with foul language and sexually explicit descriptions, cover seedy liaisons on public transport, lengthy discussions on specific sexual acts and an entire episode dedicated to defecation.

Much of the content is too offensive to describe.

There were calls for the corporation’s new chairman to tackle the issue after the offensive shows aimed at young audiences on its BBC Sounds app came to light

Tory MP Peter Bone pointed out that over-75s, who have lost their free TV licences, were now paying for the podcasts. He added: ‘I’m sure the majority of young people would find what they are talking about quite offensive.’

Fellow Conservative Giles Watling, who sits on the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, called BBC bosses ‘morally irresponsible’.

Information on the BBC’s website suggests the podcasts can cost between £1,000 and £8,000 an episode to make.

The BBC does not publish audience figures for podcasts, unlike for its radio shows, so there is no way of knowing how many listeners they are attracting. Those available on BBC Sounds include Wheel of Misfortune, in which comedians Alison Spittle and Fern Brady share ‘their funniest and most embarrassing stories’. One episode is dedicated to the topic of faeces and another to talking about ‘p**s’.

Ex-Radio 1Xtra host ‘Dotty’, real name Ashley Charles, hosts podcast Too Rude For Radio

Too Rude For Radio featured a six-minute discussion about how much money a guest on the show would have to be paid to hold the Prime Minister’s genitals, and for how long

The programme carries a warning, but then adds ‘you should listen anyway’. It features lengthy discussions about people wetting themselves, including the use of graphic sexual language.

A separate episode is described on BBC Sounds as ‘Fern, Alison and Phil share their funniest poo-related mishaps’. The aptly named Too Rude For Radio – fronted by the ex-Radio 1Xtra host ‘Dotty’, real name Ashley Charles – featured a six-minute discussion about how much money a guest on the show would have to be paid to hold the Prime Minister’s genitals, and for how long. It also included demeaning references to the fact Boris Johnson had suffered from Covid-19.

Another episode discussed Theresa May in a sexual context and talked about sex on public transport.

Tory MP Peter Bone pointed out that over-75s, who have lost their free TV licences, were now paying for the podcasts

One series called Slide Into My Podcast included sexually explicit conversations among presenters about the ‘DMs’, or direct messages, they had received through social media. Podcast series Unexpected Fluids is dedicated to embarrassing stories about sex.

Mr Bone said: ‘The vast majority of British people will think this stuff is either rubbish or obscene. I hope the new chairman of the BBC will tackle this and review this wholly inappropriate output.

‘The over-75s are now having to pay for this sort of tosh.’

Mr Watling said the BBC was ‘trying anything and everything’ to chase younger audiences, adding: ‘I think they have lost the plot.’

A BBC spokesman said: ‘Creating audio content that’s relevant to young listeners is part of our public service remit and that rightly includes podcasts which discuss relationships and explore real-life issues.’