THE BBC is facing questions after it failed to disclose that one of the panellists on its flagship debate show Question Time is affiliated with Reform UK.
Tom Skinner, who recently spoke to GB News about why he supports Nigel Farage and is a member of Reform UK, was described by the BBC on social media as a “businessman and television personality”.
Further description in a BBC graphic shared ahead of the show noted that Skinner “appeared on The Apprentice, Celebrity Masterchef, Good Morning Britain and Strictly Come Dancing”, and “says ‘small businesses are the backbone of the UK economy’”.
The quote matches what Skinner told GB News in an interview in January when talking about why he supports Reform UK. He said: “What I like about Reform personally is, I’m a small business owner … and people forget that small businesses are the backbone of the UK economy.”
During the Question Time broadcast from Clacton-on-Sea on Thursday, host Fiona Bruce introduced Skinner by saying: “Tom Skinner is a businessman and TV personality, born and raised in Romford. He has appeared on the Apprentice and Strictly Come Dancing, and was invited by the vice-president to a BBQ in the Cotswolds last summer.”
The BBC’s omission of Skinner’s political allegiance drew immediate criticism, with Irish Mirror journalist Andrew Quinn writing: “Precisely why I stopped watching this ragebaitfest years ago…
“Skinner is a card carrying member of Reform UK and has even hinted at standing for election in next General Election.
“No mention of it in his BBC bio below. There’s so much good about the BBC but this is ludicrous.”
Sharing an image from January of Skinner and Farage smiling together, another user wrote: “Just an unbiased businessman and TV personality, definitely not a means to get another Reform UK rep onto the show under the radar.”
A third said: “Let’s be right, Tom Skinner isn’t on #bbcqt tonight due to his political insight but instead because he’s a vocal supporter of Reform
“If Reform have put him forward over any one of their eight actual MPs, it’s a shocking indictment of the sheer lack of talent within their party.”
Responding to that account, Skinner denied he was representing Reform on the show.
“I’m not there representing any party,” he said. “I’m there because it pays £2000 and I like watching Question Time… I’ve been asked probably 9 or 10 times to attend over the last 4 or 5 years. So I decided to give it a go. And I really enjoyed it.”
Former Tory council candidate Lewis Ormston noted that the BBC had also failed to accurately reflect former culture secretary Nadine Dorries’s Reform affiliations during an appearance on Question Time in February.
He wrote: “@bbcquestiontime have now twice failed to correctly identify Reform UK representatives on their panels.
“They may not be elected, but they are still political representatives. Viewers deserve the full picture.”
Again, Skinner responded, saying: “Big dog, I dunno why you making stuff up. I went on Question Time because I like the show and it paid a nice few quid. I’m not representing any political party…. I was on there being myself.
“I don’t work for a party, in fact the last bit of work I done for a political party was with the Labour Party. Where I done some work on helping youngsters with dyslexia like me getting into work.
“You should do some fact checking, you have a big platform. Don’t make things up. Bosh.”
Elsewhere, the Question Time official account came to Nigel Farage’s defence after a Labour minister stoked a row about why the Reform leader had not appeared on the broadcast, given it was in his constituency of Clacton.
The BBC has been approached for a response.
soggyarsonist on
QT has been awful for years.
Clear and sustained bias
thehighyellowmoon on
I don’t mind hearing politicians, commentators and members of the public views on a politics discussion panel show. But I don’t need to know what people like Tom Skinner, Joey Barton, John Lydon, Piers Morgan and Russell Brand think via Question Time, they have enough of a platform to air their own views and for a show like this I prefer someone being there for expertise rather than headlines.
GwimlinHowJones on
More of that left wing bias I’m always hearing about
HaveYuHeardAboutCunt on
Surprised Fiona didn’t give us the “yes, he is a convicted criminal but it was a one off” in the introductions
doublejay1999 on
> born and raised in Romford.
all the disclosure you need i think
Weak-Fly-6540 on
Question Time was always Punch and Judy political TV. Never truly interested in anything meaningful.
-Ardea- on
Everyone knows they’re biased, and you shouldn’t be okay with that, no matter your political beliefs
doitnowinaminute on
Both the majority of the panel and the audience surprised me in this week’s question time, given where it was based. I came away feeling that the only poor showing was from Skinner, who seemed to represent the usual “say a lot but say nothing” crowd with no real idea other than just “get it done”. It’s common sense, innit?
It doesn’t surprise me that he’s linked to reform because he was the only person who came across as meeting that reform stereotype. Indeed, my sense was that he was put there because of that when they realised the audience wasn’t going to be so in line with what the outside world might view as stereotypical Clapton.
Bluestained on
Why is that teat even on there?
He’s not a representation for any political party, he’s not a reporter or anyone of any consequence beyond talking shite on tv?
TVPaulD on
How is this toxic trash heap of a show still on the air?
qwerty_1965 on
QT was killed stone dead by Harry Enfield’s parodies. And that was decades ago.
__defeated on
“Who’s the most insufferable window-licker we can get on the show this week?”
FrustratedPCBuild on
I haven’t watched QT since Brexit times when they consistently allowed liars to lie unchallenged and presented clear facts as equivalent to opinions. There were more plants there than on Gardeners’ World as well.
SignalButterscotch73 on
I used to watch QT all the time but after Fiona Bruce took over for David Dimbleby it’s become more and more right leaning, becoming a platform for the worst of the tories and more recently ReformUK.
The neutrality and genuine debate of old QT is gone.
Agreeable_Falcon1044 on
Next you will be wanting the bbc to explain where they have bused their plants in from and why the same people ask questions in multiple cities etc
Phaedo on
QT has been responsible for a lot of Farage’s fame right from the beginning. He wouldn’t exist without a compliant media.
Prudent_Pack2738 on
It’s a trash show for simpletons, particularly bad since Fiona Bruce took the helm though that might be coincidence
Nowadays it’s the TV equivalent of rage bait
rwinh on
QT have a hard time trying to remain neutral as is the nature of debate and discussions (conflicting views and opposing parties). This is obvious and natural.
That said, they definitely seem to have a few editorial and control issues with timings, as they often allow those with a lot to say but nothing useful to contribute to ramble on (mostly far-right or nationalist journalists and parties). The more “left” leaning panelists appear to just get on with short and snappy responses, while the “right” leaning ones tend to have to effectively bullshit their reasonings with long ramblings.
It would not be a surprise this is what happened here, especially with BBC Apprentice reject (and loser, in all senses of the word), and all round idiot, Tom Skinner, being in the frame, given he can’t even do a programme like Strictly Come Dancing without playing the victim.
The last I saw it (last year) they were actually good at calling out nonsense from Reform such as Yusuf playing the victim for being called stupid, and in turn telling the BBC they are biased, when it was about him directly being quoted about council tax reforms and how their councils clearly are not working, so how can they be expected to work in a parliamentary/national level.
Question Time is awful in the sense for viewers getting answers to questions is difficult, especially when we have personality politics now, but it’s not as bad as it was during the Referendum up to Brexit in 2020. It can certainly do better, especially around better fact checking.
E_D_K_2 on
This that show that had Farage on every week?
Bit rich of them to complain when the BBC literally made Farage what he is today.
Kate_Electro on
He is as thick as mince so I just thought it was implied.
The-ArtfulDodger on
Oh another “oopsie” by the BBC that just so happens to pedal right wing interests.
Cancel your licenses folks.
blindollie on
The BBC is biased towards reform, it’s pretty clear
ComprehensiveSet3729 on
Fiona is terrible she knocks down anything Reform and she keep showing her opinion by butting in on any Reform panellist too. We don’t want Fiona’s opinion she damn right awful week after week. David Dimbleby was premier league compared to Fiona. Question Time had never been the same since David stepped down
lonefox22 on
Sat down to watch this last night soon as this clown started I couldn’t reach for the remote fast enough. QT will be inviting hatey Katie on next.
25 Comments
THE BBC is facing questions after it failed to disclose that one of the panellists on its flagship debate show Question Time is affiliated with Reform UK.
Tom Skinner, who recently spoke to GB News about why he supports Nigel Farage and is a member of Reform UK, was described by the BBC on social media as a “businessman and television personality”.
Further description in a BBC graphic shared ahead of the show noted that Skinner “appeared on The Apprentice, Celebrity Masterchef, Good Morning Britain and Strictly Come Dancing”, and “says ‘small businesses are the backbone of the UK economy’”.
The quote matches what Skinner told GB News in an interview in January when talking about why he supports Reform UK. He said: “What I like about Reform personally is, I’m a small business owner … and people forget that small businesses are the backbone of the UK economy.”
During the Question Time broadcast from Clacton-on-Sea on Thursday, host Fiona Bruce introduced Skinner by saying: “Tom Skinner is a businessman and TV personality, born and raised in Romford. He has appeared on the Apprentice and Strictly Come Dancing, and was invited by the vice-president to a BBQ in the Cotswolds last summer.”
The BBC’s omission of Skinner’s political allegiance drew immediate criticism, with Irish Mirror journalist Andrew Quinn writing: “Precisely why I stopped watching this ragebaitfest years ago…
“Skinner is a card carrying member of Reform UK and has even hinted at standing for election in next General Election.
“No mention of it in his BBC bio below. There’s so much good about the BBC but this is ludicrous.”
Sharing an image from January of Skinner and Farage smiling together, another user wrote: “Just an unbiased businessman and TV personality, definitely not a means to get another Reform UK rep onto the show under the radar.”
A third said: “Let’s be right, Tom Skinner isn’t on #bbcqt tonight due to his political insight but instead because he’s a vocal supporter of Reform
“If Reform have put him forward over any one of their eight actual MPs, it’s a shocking indictment of the sheer lack of talent within their party.”
Responding to that account, Skinner denied he was representing Reform on the show.
“I’m not there representing any party,” he said. “I’m there because it pays £2000 and I like watching Question Time… I’ve been asked probably 9 or 10 times to attend over the last 4 or 5 years. So I decided to give it a go. And I really enjoyed it.”
Former Tory council candidate Lewis Ormston noted that the BBC had also failed to accurately reflect former culture secretary Nadine Dorries’s Reform affiliations during an appearance on Question Time in February.
He wrote: “@bbcquestiontime have now twice failed to correctly identify Reform UK representatives on their panels.
“They may not be elected, but they are still political representatives. Viewers deserve the full picture.”
Again, Skinner responded, saying: “Big dog, I dunno why you making stuff up. I went on Question Time because I like the show and it paid a nice few quid. I’m not representing any political party…. I was on there being myself.
“I don’t work for a party, in fact the last bit of work I done for a political party was with the Labour Party. Where I done some work on helping youngsters with dyslexia like me getting into work.
“You should do some fact checking, you have a big platform. Don’t make things up. Bosh.”
Elsewhere, the Question Time official account came to Nigel Farage’s defence after a Labour minister stoked a row about why the Reform leader had not appeared on the broadcast, given it was in his constituency of Clacton.
The BBC has been approached for a response.
QT has been awful for years.
Clear and sustained bias
I don’t mind hearing politicians, commentators and members of the public views on a politics discussion panel show. But I don’t need to know what people like Tom Skinner, Joey Barton, John Lydon, Piers Morgan and Russell Brand think via Question Time, they have enough of a platform to air their own views and for a show like this I prefer someone being there for expertise rather than headlines.
More of that left wing bias I’m always hearing about
Surprised Fiona didn’t give us the “yes, he is a convicted criminal but it was a one off” in the introductions
> born and raised in Romford.
all the disclosure you need i think
Question Time was always Punch and Judy political TV. Never truly interested in anything meaningful.
Everyone knows they’re biased, and you shouldn’t be okay with that, no matter your political beliefs
Both the majority of the panel and the audience surprised me in this week’s question time, given where it was based. I came away feeling that the only poor showing was from Skinner, who seemed to represent the usual “say a lot but say nothing” crowd with no real idea other than just “get it done”. It’s common sense, innit?
It doesn’t surprise me that he’s linked to reform because he was the only person who came across as meeting that reform stereotype. Indeed, my sense was that he was put there because of that when they realised the audience wasn’t going to be so in line with what the outside world might view as stereotypical Clapton.
Why is that teat even on there?
He’s not a representation for any political party, he’s not a reporter or anyone of any consequence beyond talking shite on tv?
How is this toxic trash heap of a show still on the air?
QT was killed stone dead by Harry Enfield’s parodies. And that was decades ago.
“Who’s the most insufferable window-licker we can get on the show this week?”
I haven’t watched QT since Brexit times when they consistently allowed liars to lie unchallenged and presented clear facts as equivalent to opinions. There were more plants there than on Gardeners’ World as well.
I used to watch QT all the time but after Fiona Bruce took over for David Dimbleby it’s become more and more right leaning, becoming a platform for the worst of the tories and more recently ReformUK.
The neutrality and genuine debate of old QT is gone.
Next you will be wanting the bbc to explain where they have bused their plants in from and why the same people ask questions in multiple cities etc
QT has been responsible for a lot of Farage’s fame right from the beginning. He wouldn’t exist without a compliant media.
It’s a trash show for simpletons, particularly bad since Fiona Bruce took the helm though that might be coincidence
Nowadays it’s the TV equivalent of rage bait
QT have a hard time trying to remain neutral as is the nature of debate and discussions (conflicting views and opposing parties). This is obvious and natural.
That said, they definitely seem to have a few editorial and control issues with timings, as they often allow those with a lot to say but nothing useful to contribute to ramble on (mostly far-right or nationalist journalists and parties). The more “left” leaning panelists appear to just get on with short and snappy responses, while the “right” leaning ones tend to have to effectively bullshit their reasonings with long ramblings.
It would not be a surprise this is what happened here, especially with BBC Apprentice reject (and loser, in all senses of the word), and all round idiot, Tom Skinner, being in the frame, given he can’t even do a programme like Strictly Come Dancing without playing the victim.
The last I saw it (last year) they were actually good at calling out nonsense from Reform such as Yusuf playing the victim for being called stupid, and in turn telling the BBC they are biased, when it was about him directly being quoted about council tax reforms and how their councils clearly are not working, so how can they be expected to work in a parliamentary/national level.
Question Time is awful in the sense for viewers getting answers to questions is difficult, especially when we have personality politics now, but it’s not as bad as it was during the Referendum up to Brexit in 2020. It can certainly do better, especially around better fact checking.
This that show that had Farage on every week?
Bit rich of them to complain when the BBC literally made Farage what he is today.
He is as thick as mince so I just thought it was implied.
Oh another “oopsie” by the BBC that just so happens to pedal right wing interests.
Cancel your licenses folks.
The BBC is biased towards reform, it’s pretty clear
Fiona is terrible she knocks down anything Reform and she keep showing her opinion by butting in on any Reform panellist too. We don’t want Fiona’s opinion she damn right awful week after week. David Dimbleby was premier league compared to Fiona. Question Time had never been the same since David stepped down
Sat down to watch this last night soon as this clown started I couldn’t reach for the remote fast enough. QT will be inviting hatey Katie on next.