‘Emily Maitlis has lost control!’: BBC viewers slam Tory leadership debate

The BBC was today accused of ‘letting down the country’ after their Tory leadership debate descended into farce as millions watched at home.

The Corporation faces an inquest into the five-man format that saw members of the public ask the questions instead of the host Emily Maitlis, who was accused of ‘completely losing control’. 

At one point the Newsnight host asked Boris Johnson: ‘Can you hear me?’ as he tried to dodge a question on his first TV appearance of the campaign.

His Tory MP colleagues: Michael Gove, Jeremy Hunt, Sajid Javid and Rory Stewart repeatedly shouted over him – and eachother – and at one point a frustrated Ms Maitlis was heard telling all five men to ‘shush’.

One viewer said the show turned into ‘an hour of men shouting inanely over eachother’ while another critic said that the BBC’s bar-stool format  made the Tory MPs look like ‘a bunch of braying morons’. 

A particularly disgruntled licence fee payer said afterwards: ‘What on EARTH were the BBC thinking?’ while another tweeted: ‘Who from the BBC is getting sacked? That debate was tragic!!’. 

The final two Tory candidates will be revealed by the end of the tomorrow with Sky News and ITV set to grill them in the coming weeks.

But critics have urged them to avoid any repeat of the BBC’s ‘appalling’ format where viewers asked the question and there was no audience to react to the MPs’ answers.

And today it was revealed that an Imam from Bristol chosen by producers to ask contenders about Islamophobia has been exposed as an anti-Semite who sent tweets praising Jeremy Corbyn and blaming women for rape.

Emily Maitlis was accused of losing control of proceedings as the candidates talked over each other amid questions about the format chosen by the BBC

Rory Stewart, along with the other candidates, was accused of 'manspreading' by social media users because of his wide-legged stance on his stool during the debate

Rory Stewart, along with the other candidates, was accused of ‘manspreading’ by social media users because of his wide-legged stance on his stool during the debate

Viewers have come out in their droves to criticise the BBC's format for the debate

Viewers have come out in their droves to criticise the BBC’s format for the debate

Others called it a ‘complete waste of time’ with the candidates to be the next Prime Minister able to wriggle out of giving answers with the debate repeatedly turning into a shouting match. 

Outsider Rory Stewart was so frustrated he removed his tie after 15 minutes and repeatedly looked to the sky in anger during heated discussions about Brexit where he ruled out No Deal as ‘impossible’. 

Some viewers demanded to know why Andrew Neil was not given the job after Ms Maitlis struggled to pin them down.

But Mr Neil was watching and gave his own running commentary online, tweeting repeatedly that favourite Boris Johnson was allowed to constantly ‘waffle’, and said: ‘If you’d just arrived from Mars with zero knowledge and watched the last hour you’d never have known Johnson was the front runner’.

After 30 minutes of questions demanding to know how the Tory hopefuls would leave the EU by October 31 he said: ‘So we’ve moved on from Brexit. And none the wiser’.  

The BBC faces difficult questions even as the much-anticipated event was ongoing over the format it had chosen as questions were hurried and candidates did not have very long to explain themselves.

Some viewers suggested that an American-style debate where candidates had strict time limits for answers and are interrupted with a buzzer or bell.  

Some viewers said Andrew Neil should have been in charge. The broadcaster was watching and laid into Boris Johnson and the general standard of debate

Some viewers said Andrew Neil should have been in charge. The broadcaster was watching and laid into Boris Johnson and the general standard of debate

Boris Johnson’s decision to skip the first televised leadership debate of the campaign hosted by Channel 4 on Sunday meant tonight’s event had been billed as the front runner’s coming out party. 

But what should have been a major moment in the race for Number 10 risked turning into a damp squib as Mr Johnson and his colleagues struggled to be heard.   

Even the set for the debate was condemned after it left the challengers ‘manspreading’ as they sat awkwardly on high stools with their legs wide apart.

Meanwhile, Rory Stewart was singled out for mockery after he removed his tie midway through the debate. 

The move prompted people online to joke that it was part of a pre-planned attempt to appear as more of a ‘man of the people’ than his suit and tie wearing colleagues.  

The debate was punctuated early on by noisy exchanges over the candidates’ respective Brexit plans as each of them tried to get the upper hand.

At times Ms Maitlis was forced to plead with the candidates to be quiet and let their rivals answer questions without being challenged.    

Social media exploded with criticism as one user said: ‘Emily Maitlis is doing a very poor job so far.’

'Unwatchable and an utter shambles': Viewers reacted with anger to the way in which the BBC debate was moderated

‘Unwatchable and an utter shambles’: Viewers reacted with anger to the way in which the BBC debate was moderated

Another said: ‘Emily Maitlis may as well not be in the room totally incompetent with no control over the debate.’

Someone else branded the debate ‘unwatchable’ and added: ‘Nobody answering a question, Emily Maitlis is desperate to be the star of the show. An utter shambles.’ 

Another user said Ms Maitlis needed to ‘get a grip’ as they suggested she was being ‘steamrollered’ by the five challengers. 

Someone else said: ‘What an omnishambles. Five shouting over each other, no practical ideas and Emily Maitlis unable to control.’ 

Social media also ignited over the way the candidates were sat on their seats as they were accused of ‘manspreading’ – a term used to describe when a man sits on a seat with his legs wide apart.  

One person described the debate as ‘it’s the “who can’t answer the question the best whilst manspreading” competition’. 

Another tweeted: ‘If I had a vote, I think I’d probably give it to the one who manages to stop manspreading.”

The BBC was accused of a 'poor presentation' by social media users as questions were asked over the format of the debate and the set itself

The BBC was accused of a ‘poor presentation’ by social media users as questions were asked over the format of the debate and the set itself

Mr Stewart raised eyebrows after he started the debate wearing a tie before then taking it off. 

The International Development Secretary has put meeting people and hearing their concerns at the heart of his leadership campaign. 

He has engaged in a series of so-called ‘Rory Walks’ events when he has travelled to different parts of the country to talk to voters. 

Social media users suggested his decision to take off his tie during the debate may have been driven by a desire to bolster his ‘normal guy’ credentials. 

One user suggested the decision would have gone down badly with previous Tory prime ministers.

He asked: ‘Has Rory Stewart removed his tie? My! Sir Anthony Eden will be turning in his grave.’ 

Rory Stewart, circled on the far right of the image, decided to take off his tie during the debate in a move which prompted mockery on social media

Rory Stewart, circled on the far right of the image, decided to take off his tie during the debate in a move which prompted mockery on social media

The format and length of the debate also sparked controversy as candidates were not given much time to answer questions. 

The BBC had opted to give voters sitting in different studios across the country the chance to ask the questions, rather than simply leaving it to Ms Maitlis. 

Each voter was also asked to deliver their verdict on the answers they were given which cut into the one hour of time available to the candidates.

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk