The BBC has cancelled three of its longest-running entertainment shows — Blankety Blank, Celebrity Mastermind and Live at the Apollo — as part of cost-cutting measures driven by "funding challenges".
Falling viewership
Viewing figures for all three programmes have declined over recent years. Celebrity Mastermind fell from an average of 4 million viewers in 2017 to 1.7 million for its most recent series. Blankety Blank dropped from 5.5 million in 2021 to 2.3 million. Live at the Apollo went from around 1.3 million in 2018 to approximately 660,000. These figures include catch-up viewing on iPlayer.
One more series of Live at the Apollo is still set to be broadcast.
BBC statement
In a statement, the BBC said it was "incredibly proud of all three of these much-loved shows" and thanked the production teams. It added: "Unfortunately, we have to make some really tough choices in light of our funding challenges, and these savings have been identified from the entertainment genre."
Wider savings plan
The cancellations are part of the BBC's first phase of proposals to make £500 million of savings over the next three years. BBC Content has a target of delivering at least £100 million in recurring annual savings, which will result in a reduction of around 100–150 hours of originated TV programmes across genres by the end of 2027/28.
The broadcaster said it would "prioritise digital innovation that can serve fans of these shows and beyond". It also announced plans for digital content focused on stand-up and emerging comedy talent.
Show histories
Blankety Blank first launched in 1979 and ran for 11 years, presented by Terry Wogan and Les Dawson. It returned in 2020 with Bradley Walsh, who recently said he was stepping away because he "physically does not have the time" to film another series. Celebrity Mastermind started in 2002 and has been hosted by Magnus Magnusson and John Humphrys.
The BBC said it will continue to commission ambitious entertainment shows and invest in distinctive UK content from a wide range of independent production companies.
