The BBC was attacked by viewers on Twitter for the second time this week on Thursday night, as it hosted its second telethon for charity.
The Big Night In merged charities Comic Relief and Children In Need for an evening of fundraising and entertainment, with proceeds also going towards battling COVID-19.
All celebrities involved filmed their contributions remotely amid the currently UK lockdown – yet the BBC insisted on wheeling out five presenters to host the show from the studios at Broadcasting House.
Missing the point… again! The BBC was attacked by viewers on Twitter for the second time this week on Thursday night, as it hosted its second telethon for charity
The show – which was only three hours long – featured Lenny Henry, Davina McCall, Zoe Ball, Matt Baker and Paddy McGuinness, swapping them around halfway through the live transmission.
This comes after three presenters – Clara Amfo, Claudia Winkleman and Dermot O’Leary – were enlisted to host Sunday night’s One World: Together At Home event, causing viewers to slam the BBC for flouting social distancing.
Despite the presenters keeping two metres apart, and explaining that the crew on site was a minimal one, viewers were left unimpressed for the second time this week.
‘Why the hell does the #bignightin need FIVE in studio presenters?????? This is like that music from home thing all over again. Totally against the point!’ one tweeter pointed out.
Famous five? All celebrities involved filmed their contributions remotely amid the currently UK lockdown – yet the BBC insisted on wheeling out five presenters to host the show from the studios at Broadcasting House
‘Why?!’ Despite the presenters keeping two metres apart, and explaining that the crew on site was a minimal one, viewers were left unimpressed for the second time this week
Another agreed: ‘Did the #bbc really need this many different presenters in the studio when we’re all social distancing?’
A third penned: ‘Just a quick question, when we are all supposed to be social distancing and using skeleton workers for TV programs why did the big night in need to change presenters? Not like they been on for hours!’
‘Mental that a show about staying in your homes needed 6 presenters all in the same room!’ a fourth posted.
A fifth penned: ‘#BigNightIn but the BBC are filling the studio with presenters. Does this really require this many presenters???”
Here we go again! The show – which was only three hours long – featured Lenny Henry, Davina McCall, Zoe Ball, Matt Baker and Paddy McGuinness, swapping them around halfway through the live transmission
Someone tweeted: ‘CHANGE OF PRESENTERS?! How pointless and stupid? Don’t care if you are “2m apart in the studio” that’s still more people than necessary in the studio?!!!’
‘I’m not sure how I feel about TV presenters still working in studios etc. Isn’t this a seriously unnecessary risk? Plus the crew behind the scenes etc? Not exactly setting a good example. All of this could have been filmed in their homes surely,’ mused someone else.
‘The bbc’s #BigNightIn looks like a big night out for the presenters and film crew. This is a mixed message!’ remarked another, followed by: ‘Nah this is ridiculous!! 5 presenters?! Haven’t they learnt from the concert the other day?!’
Another wrote: ‘They say that they have done everything safely as possible for the #BigNightIn but how many different presenters will there be tonight?’
‘#BigNightIn being a tad hypocritical by having loads of presenters. Surely they should be encouraging them to stay at home?’ came another comment, followed by: ‘CHANGE OF PRESENTERS?! How pointless and stupid? Don’t care if you are “2m apart in the studio” that’s still more people than necessary in the studio?!!!’
Another agreed: ‘Did the #bbc really need this many different presenters in the studio when we’re all social distancing?’
Crowded: ‘Mental that a show about staying in your homes needed 6 presenters all in the same room!’ another posted
The evening’s events saw the likes of Miranda Hart reunite with her Miranda co-stars, as well as Matt Lucas and David Walliams performing remote Little Britain sketches. This was all done via the internet.
A Radio 1 charity single was recorded with numerous major artists – but all from home.
All performances – live and pre-recorded – kept the contributors away from the studio; yet the BBC still felt the need to use even more hosts for the show than on Sunday’s broadcast.
The UK’s One World: Together At Home concert on Sunday night saw stars from across Britain – and the rest of the world – take part in musical performances and surprise guest appearances from their homes, amid the COVID-19 lockdown.
Together (not at home): Viewers slammed the BBC for recruiting three presenters to host the One World: Together At Home UK concert from a studio on Sunday night despite the strict COVID-19 social distancing rules that are currently in place
Yet many slammed the use of Dermot, Claudia and Clara, as well as questioning the need for the studio links at all.
Many suggested that the entire programme should have been filmed remotely and that the ‘constant chat’ between the performances was delaying the songs.
Viewers claimed the BBC had ‘missed the point’ – while some branded it depressing to have Dermot, Clara and Claudia ‘rambling on’ about COVID-19, when the show was supposed to be about escapism.
‘The BBC should be ashamed of themselves for recording the unnecessary studio bit!’ one viewer raged on Twitter. ‘Why aren’t the presenters doing this from home? Like the ENTIRE point of the concert? Was this to make it look more professional? Because it just looks cringe!’
Three’s a crowd! Dermot O’Leary, Clara Amfo and Claudia Winkleman hosted the event – albeit keeping a two metre distance between them
Missing the point? Some slammed the studio links completely – suggesting that the entire programme should have been filmed remotely
Another agreed: ‘3 presenters in a studio, what are you thinking @BBC? Completely missed the point!’
As someone else posted: ‘Trust BBC to ruin this. No need for the studio or presenters. Just put the music on and stop all the c**p in between, of which we have enough of ALL day, EVERYWHERE else, ALL the time! Thought the point was to escape from the p****n’ virus for a bit?’
‘Eight hours of music content and the BBC have chosen to put on presenters waffling and kids asking questions that we could Google. Ridiculous!’ slammed another.
‘A bit s**t!’ Tweeters did not hold back from their commentary
Followed by a fifth who penned: ‘Well done for entirely missing the point by having presenters in the studio and showing barely anything that was shown last night instead we get presenters in a studio talking. Not so much one world as one BBC!’
‘Thought this was to ‘lift spirits’… never felt more depressed!’ another wrote, followed by: ‘The lights and the studio are very nice… but can we just watch the performers please. Are those 3 presenters really Key Workers?!’
‘These presenters need to be fined for making unnecessary journeys,’ typed another.
Someone else tweeted: ”No need for: * A studio * THREE presenters * Choosing morbid songs * So much chatter * Clapping at end of videos What a shame… this could have been so different & uplifting!’
One person tweeted: ‘Eight hours of music content and the BBC have chosen to put on presenters waffling and kids asking questions that we could Google. Ridiculous!’
Together, indeed! Some questioned whether three of them was necessary for the event
Some compared it to the US version from the night before, claiming America had the right idea: ‘The American show last night had all of the presenters at home, I know BBC get Dermot, Claudia & Clara in the studio. Totally pointless. Annoyed me.’
Another agreed: ‘The BBC have ruined this. Presenters not at home, cutting away from artists to show the studio, constant information instead of music. Yesterday was spectacular but now we have to endure selected artists to make it all about Britain rather than the world!’
‘Sorry but concept is great but presentation by BBC is awful. Should be one act after another. But 3 presenters for basically a documentary. Very disappointing!’ another seethed.
Someone else penned: ‘Send two presenters home now! Why does it take three to present. Fine example set by the BBC…not.’
Someone else penned: ‘Send two presenters home now! Why does it take three to present. Fine example set by the BBC…not’
Another raged: ‘Good idea to have three presenters, 3x the potential to pass the virus on…’
‘Good idea to have three presenters, 3x the potential to pass the virus on…’ another raged, followed by: ‘Congratulations to the @BBCOne for creating one of the worst TV shows ever. 30 seconds of songs, 2 hours of gormless presenters who ignored government guidelines and should have stayed at home. Constant cutaways to an empty drab studio. Awful awful awful.’
The BBC told MailOnline on Monday: ‘This was a live two hour broadcast with numerous pre-recorded and live inserts and it was safer for the production team to work in a single controlled space that operates within the government guidelines of social distancing than to have multiple recording locations for the presenters.
‘Only essential workers were present in the studio, they remained at least 2m apart from one another and were advised of the health and safety protocols in advance.’
Star-studded: The broadcast, raising awareness of NHS workers and key staff, saw performances from the likes of Little Mix (above), Tom Jones and Jess Glynne