TV

BBC bosses axe consumer rights series Watchdog after 40 years


BBC bosses have decided to shelve Watchdog after 40 years, despite good audience figures.

The investigate programme will become a segment on BBC’s The One Show rather than a regular one-hour programme.

News of Watchdog’s axing comes weeks after Victoria Derbyshire’s show was scrapped in January, upsetting its host and viewers of the popular show.

A petition was soon created in a bid to reinstate the show, and has received over 70,000 signatures and counting.

BBC’s Watchdog has been axed despite pulling in three million viewers last autumn

A TV source told the Sun the decision to cancel was because of recent cuts, but it will no doubt “infuriate people”.

“The BBC is being forced to make cuts and unfortunately the bosses have decided they cannot justify keeping Watchdog as a full series, twice a year.

“This doesn’t seem to make much sense given that Watchdog still pulls in good figures and is performing a public service,” the insider said.

Matt Allwright will be presenting the new format

“Taking it from full one-hour episodes in a proper series to just a segment on a magazine show will infuriate a lot of people.

“It’s like the axing of Victoria Derbyshire’s show all over again.”

A BBC source added: “Rather than being limited to having their concerns addressed in two limited series a year, viewers can now contact the Watchdog investigations team throughout the year.”

Watchdog will now feature on The One Show

Watchdog has amassed a loyal fanbase over the years, and has run for 41 series, totalling more than 1,000 episodes and seen 23 presenters take the reigns.

The programme, which originally started as part of news and current affairs show Nationwide, brought in a staggering three million viewers when it last aired in the autumn.





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