Disgruntled viewers of the BBC’s ‘Have I Got News For You’ (HIGNFY) have hit out at the corporation for pulling the show which featured Change UK leader Heidi Allen as a guest.
BBC editorial guidelines around election periods do not allow programmes where ‘equal representation’ is not achieved.
However, many were quick to point out that MEP candidate Nigel Farage had appeared on BBC Question Time earlier in the week and is also set to appear on the Andrew Marr Show tomorrow.
The BBC pulled the show with Ms Allen, who is not running as an MEP, after fears it would breach election impartiality, despite the fact that Mr Farage would be appearing on flagship shows, twice in one week.
The BBC pulled an episode of Have I Got News For You (pictured) because of impartiality concerns (pictured: An audience member photographed the set and posted it to Reddit)
Pictured: Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage appears on BBC’s Question Time. A spokesperson clarified: ‘Question Time is a political debate programme, which has representatives from various different political parties’
Twitter users were keen to hit back at the BBC’s decision and highlighted that Ms Allen wasn’t running as a candidate
Social media users such as Andrew Wheatley said it was an interesting decision from the BBC.
‘Nigel Farage on Question Time for the 34th time on Thursday is OK but Heidi Allen on #HIGNFY isn’t? Interesting decision.
One Twitter user Lillian Edwards said: ‘BBC can’t show Heidi Allen on HIGNFY but they’re happy to splash Farage over #bbcqt? What?’
This is while Joe Watkinson said: ‘So if Have I got News for You was pulled because Heidi Allen appeared on it and the BBC thought it ‘inappropriate to feature political party leaders’ why was Nigel Farage allowed to appear on Question Time?’
Others highlighted the fact that Ms Allen was not running as MEP and that Mr Farage was.
Martin O’Lowery said: ‘Heidi Allen isn’t a candidate or a representative of a candidate in the European Parliament elections’.
One Twitter user questioned why Nigel Farage had been allowed to appear on Question Time earlier this week
Another said that even is Ms Allen had been leading the show, that the presenter does not control the content of it
The Have I Got News For You Twitter page announced the decision, posting: ‘Sorry everyone. The BBC have pulled tonight’s edition of #HIGNFY – no, we didn’t book Danny Baker.
‘We booked Heidi Allen, a member of a party no-one knows the name of (not even the people in it), because the Euro elections, which nobody wants, may or may not be happening. Sorry.’
The BBC said the episode will be broadcast ‘at a later date’.
Despite the initial furore over the show being pulled, some people also raised questions about Ms Allen’s behavior following the cancellation of the programme.
Pictured: Heidi Allen of Change UK attends a People’s Vote rally, London, April 30
Guy Lambert said that Ms Allen would have been able to find the BBC’s rules easily
One Twitter user Guy Lambert, said that Ms Allen could have found out the rules, and accused her of ‘playing games with voters’.
Ms Allen, who left the Conservative Party earlier this year to join pro-Remain Change UK, called for an explanation into the BBC’s decision.
She tweeted: ‘Maybe I’m just not as funny as Nigel Farage eh #hignfy @haveigotnews!?
‘He’s so funny, he seems to be on the BBC all the time! An explanation would be appreciated, not least to acknowledge the hard work of the entire crew who worked diligently to put the show together.’
The Have I Got News For You Twitter page announced the decision, posting: ‘Sorry everyone. The BBC have pulled tonight’s edition of #HIGNFY – no, we didn’t book Danny Baker’
Ms Allen voiced her outrage over the decision, responding to a tweet that said Nigel Farage was on the programme in April 2014
Ms Allen herself voiced her concern, writing: ‘Maybe I’m just not as funny as Nigel Farage eh #hignfy @haveigotnews!?’
Ms Allen had tweeted out that she would appear on the programme yesterday
Commenting on the decision to pull the show the BBC said: ‘The BBC has specific editorial guidelines that apply during election periods.
‘Because of this it would be inappropriate to feature political party leaders on entertainment programmes during this short election period, which does not allow for equal representation to be achieved.
‘So we will not broadcast the scheduled episode of HIGNFY featuring Heidi Allen, leader of Change UK. We will look to broadcast this episode at a later date.’
When asked over the difference between Ms Allen’s appearance on HIGNFY and Mr Farage’s on Question Time, the spokesperson added: ‘The statement refers to appearance during entertainment programmes during this short election period, which does not allow for equal representation to be achieved.
The Have I Got News For You Twitter page continued to post after announcing the decision
‘Question Time is a political debate programme, which has representatives from various different political parties.’
First being aired in 1990, 501 episodes of the panel show have been broadcast on the BBC with guests ranging from Grayson Perry to Boris Johnson.
In 2013 another episode of the programme was at the centre of an impartiality scandal ahead of the Scottish independent referendum.
Ofcom and the BBC received more than 100 complaints about anti-Scottish bias as Ian Hislop joked that Mars Bars would be the currency on an independent Scotland.
That was followed by the guest host, English actor Ray Winstone, saying: ‘To be fair the Scottish economy has its strengths – its chief exports being oil, whisky, tartan and tramps.’