The BBC has been hit with a wave of complaints after environmental activist Daze Aghaji made controversial comments about the late Strictly Come Dancing star Ann Widdecombe on Politics Live. Widdecombe, 78, was murdered earlier this year, and Aghaji appeared on the programme in July to discuss her death.
Activist's comments spark outrage
During the show, Aghaji said that while the murder was "absolutely awful," there were "a lot of people who won't be grieving" Widdecombe's death. She cited Widdecombe's opposition to LGBTQ+ rights, her comments about Harvey Weinstein victims, and her anti-abortion stance as reasons for her remarks.
The comments drew immediate backlash on social media, with many accusing the BBC of bias for allowing such remarks to air without challenge.
Complaints and BBC response
The BBC confirmed it received 124 stage 1 complaints between July 13 and 26, which are handled by its audience service. This comes amid a total of 2,520 complaints about BBC programmes during that period.
On July 27, the BBC issued an official response, stating: "Politics Live routinely features a panel of contributors from across the political spectrum to discuss the day's major stories. Our guests are typically booked days or weeks in advance, and we aim to ensure that a wide range of views and opinions are represented."
The response added: "It is never our intention to cause offence, and we acknowledge that some viewers believe Vicki Young should have challenged Daze Aghaji directly on her comments. However, in live political programming guests will sometimes express views that some in our audience will consider offensive or inappropriate, which must be balanced against freedom of expression and editorial responsibility."
The BBC concluded: "Having reviewed the programme, we are satisfied that Daze Aghaji views were adequately contextualised and challenged by the other panellists and so handled appropriately."
