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| Bake Off star Sue Perkins gives culture secretary a roasting over BBC cuts | Bake Off star Sue Perkins gives culture secretary a roasting over BBC cuts |
| (about 17 hours later) | |
| One will decide the future of the BBC and the other presents its most popular show. | One will decide the future of the BBC and the other presents its most popular show. |
| But The Great British Bake Off star Sue Perkins left the genteel world of the BBC1 cookery show behind her to give the culture secretary, John Whittingdale, a roasting over the government’s plans for the BBC and 20% cuts to its funding. | But The Great British Bake Off star Sue Perkins left the genteel world of the BBC1 cookery show behind her to give the culture secretary, John Whittingdale, a roasting over the government’s plans for the BBC and 20% cuts to its funding. |
| Perkins confronted Whittingdale at a dinner packed with senior television executives and presenters at the Guardian Edinburgh international television festival on Wednesday, where The Thick of It creator Armando Iannucci had just delivered the prestigious MacTaggart Lecture. | Perkins confronted Whittingdale at a dinner packed with senior television executives and presenters at the Guardian Edinburgh international television festival on Wednesday, where The Thick of It creator Armando Iannucci had just delivered the prestigious MacTaggart Lecture. |
| Perkins told fellow guests she had “gone rogue” after confronting Whittingdale at the dinner in a prolonged encounter described by witnesses as “feisty” and a “full and frank” exchange of views. | Perkins told fellow guests she had “gone rogue” after confronting Whittingdale at the dinner in a prolonged encounter described by witnesses as “feisty” and a “full and frank” exchange of views. |
| Perkins later told the Guardian: “I’m a passionate person, there’s a lot going on underneath my carousel of blazers, a cauldron of sensitivity and emotion. | Perkins later told the Guardian: “I’m a passionate person, there’s a lot going on underneath my carousel of blazers, a cauldron of sensitivity and emotion. |
| “I went to this dinner and John was opposite and I took it as my opportunity, albeit after one or two glasses of wine, to engage with him about the government and the BBC. We had a lively exchange during which many views were contested and I said my piece. It was a very well intentioned but pretty fiery exchange. | “I went to this dinner and John was opposite and I took it as my opportunity, albeit after one or two glasses of wine, to engage with him about the government and the BBC. We had a lively exchange during which many views were contested and I said my piece. It was a very well intentioned but pretty fiery exchange. |
| “I said you will take my points on board otherwise I will kiss you into an horrific submission and with that he shut up sharpish.” | “I said you will take my points on board otherwise I will kiss you into an horrific submission and with that he shut up sharpish.” |
| Perkins, who was at the dinner with her partner, Anna Richardson, said the exchange had continued until “we had bored the living daylights out of everyone else at the table and we looked up to find everyone else had cleared their plates”. | Perkins, who was at the dinner with her partner, Anna Richardson, said the exchange had continued until “we had bored the living daylights out of everyone else at the table and we looked up to find everyone else had cleared their plates”. |
| She said she took issue with Whittingdale because she believed the government was acting as if it owned the BBC when it was actually owned by the “90-something percent of the general public who pay the licence fee and are its stakeholders”. | She said she took issue with Whittingdale because she believed the government was acting as if it owned the BBC when it was actually owned by the “90-something percent of the general public who pay the licence fee and are its stakeholders”. |
| “I was speaking to John not really as an employee of the BBC but as a stakeholder,” she added. “I think all stakeholders should start to engage with the government and say, hang on, do we want this? What I don’t want is a fait accompli because I think that would be the worst thing to happen to broadcasting in living memory.” | “I was speaking to John not really as an employee of the BBC but as a stakeholder,” she added. “I think all stakeholders should start to engage with the government and say, hang on, do we want this? What I don’t want is a fait accompli because I think that would be the worst thing to happen to broadcasting in living memory.” |
| Whittingdale told the Guardian he had enjoyed the debate. “She’s a feisty lady, I enjoyed talking to her,” he said. “Unfortunately we were cut short, I hope there will be another opportunity for it to continue.” | Whittingdale told the Guardian he had enjoyed the debate. “She’s a feisty lady, I enjoyed talking to her,” he said. “Unfortunately we were cut short, I hope there will be another opportunity for it to continue.” |
| He said he did not consider the exchange particularly lively. “Part of my reason for coming to Edinburgh was to put right what I considered to be quite widespread misconceptions of what my review is all about,” he added. | He said he did not consider the exchange particularly lively. “Part of my reason for coming to Edinburgh was to put right what I considered to be quite widespread misconceptions of what my review is all about,” he added. |
| “I was therefore happy to have a chance to talk to her and explain my position. We had a very enjoyable debate and I hope it’s one we can continue.” | “I was therefore happy to have a chance to talk to her and explain my position. We had a very enjoyable debate and I hope it’s one we can continue.” |
| Iannucci used his speech to accuse ministers of in effect trying to kill off the corporation. He rounded on politicians and Rupert Murdoch and compared the government’s treatment of the BBC to a “doctor urging his patient to consider the benefits of assisted suicide”. | Iannucci used his speech to accuse ministers of in effect trying to kill off the corporation. He rounded on politicians and Rupert Murdoch and compared the government’s treatment of the BBC to a “doctor urging his patient to consider the benefits of assisted suicide”. |
| It faces a 20% cut in its funding after the government required it to take on the £750m burden of paying for free TV licence fees for the over-75s ahead of the renewal of its royal charter. | It faces a 20% cut in its funding after the government required it to take on the £750m burden of paying for free TV licence fees for the over-75s ahead of the renewal of its royal charter. |
| Whittingdale subsequently invited Iannucci, whose other credits include I’m Alan Partridge and HBO comedy Veep, to Westminster to discuss the future of the corporation. | Whittingdale subsequently invited Iannucci, whose other credits include I’m Alan Partridge and HBO comedy Veep, to Westminster to discuss the future of the corporation. |
| “He said: ‘Come and have a chat’ so obviously I will come and have a chat but it’s got to go deeper than that,” Iannucci told the Guardian. | “He said: ‘Come and have a chat’ so obviously I will come and have a chat but it’s got to go deeper than that,” Iannucci told the Guardian. |
| But he played down suggestions that he might join Whittingdale’s panel of experts advising the government on the future of the BBC. Iannucci used his speech to criticise the line-up, which includes former Channel 5 boss Dawn Airey and ex-ITN chief Stewart Purvis, for not including any creatives. | But he played down suggestions that he might join Whittingdale’s panel of experts advising the government on the future of the BBC. Iannucci used his speech to criticise the line-up, which includes former Channel 5 boss Dawn Airey and ex-ITN chief Stewart Purvis, for not including any creatives. |
| “That would be pointless because then you would just be one token creative,” said Iannucci. “I’m always saying this whole thing should be a proper dialogue, a proper conversation, it shouldn’t be about the government versus the BBC, it should be about the government, production community and all broadcasters talking together about what will improve the BBC and give more value for money for the licence fee payer. | “That would be pointless because then you would just be one token creative,” said Iannucci. “I’m always saying this whole thing should be a proper dialogue, a proper conversation, it shouldn’t be about the government versus the BBC, it should be about the government, production community and all broadcasters talking together about what will improve the BBC and give more value for money for the licence fee payer. |
| “Anything I say is not going to solve everything, I just wanted to start that alternative approach to the discussion.” | “Anything I say is not going to solve everything, I just wanted to start that alternative approach to the discussion.” |
| Whittingdale earlier told the festival that the government had “never suggested dismantling the BBC. The idea that somehow there is an ideological drive to destroy the BBC is just extraordinary. I have a sense that people who are rushing to defend the BBC are tilting at windmills.” | Whittingdale earlier told the festival that the government had “never suggested dismantling the BBC. The idea that somehow there is an ideological drive to destroy the BBC is just extraordinary. I have a sense that people who are rushing to defend the BBC are tilting at windmills.” |
| He said there were “times when the BBC has driven me into a fury but I am not alone. Go and talk to Labour. They will say exactly the same thing.” | He said there were “times when the BBC has driven me into a fury but I am not alone. Go and talk to Labour. They will say exactly the same thing.” |
| Culture minister Ed Vaizey was also at the dinner, held at the rooftop Tower restaurant above Edinburgh’s National Museum of Scotland, and later spoke to Perkins. | |
| The Department for Culture, Media and Sport declined to comment. | The Department for Culture, Media and Sport declined to comment. |
| The Great British Bake Off, which Perkins presents with Mel Giedroyc, was the most popular entertainment show of last year with nearly 14 million viewers. | The Great British Bake Off, which Perkins presents with Mel Giedroyc, was the most popular entertainment show of last year with nearly 14 million viewers. |
| The current series is already shaping up to be the biggest show of 2015, with nearly 10 million viewers watching this week’s fourth episode. | The current series is already shaping up to be the biggest show of 2015, with nearly 10 million viewers watching this week’s fourth episode. |
| Perkins added: “To give John credit I think he is now open to speaking to people who sometimes work for the BBC and so I am going to carry on this discussion with him further. We will have another exchange. There may be alcohol.” | Perkins added: “To give John credit I think he is now open to speaking to people who sometimes work for the BBC and so I am going to carry on this discussion with him further. We will have another exchange. There may be alcohol.” |