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David Dimbleby was the face of Question Time for 25 years, but since quitting the show, he hasn’t watched a single second of the BBC series.
The veteran broadcaster, 87, chaired the topical debate show from 1994, before being replaced by Fiona Bruce in 2018.
However, he has revealed in a new interview that he abstains from watching his successor in the hosting seat, stating: “I think you don’t want to watch somebody doing it in a different way from the way you did it.”
Dimbleby also suggested to The Times that the show currently faces a bigger obstacle in securing high-profile guests, as they’re more wary of saying the wrong thing in a time when clips can go viral within minutes. He said that this only started becoming a problem “towards the end” of his presenting tenure.
“I think we had the advantage that towards the end, we were getting into this business of the spads [Special Advisers] telling their ministers, ‘There’s nothing in it for you.’ That’s dangerous.”
He continued: “I mean, we had big hitters on Question Time because, I think, either they felt they could convince an audience or because they felt it was a duty to go and face a hustings. But I think that mood has changed in politics. People are much more cautious about saying anything and setting out their stall and making conditions and all that.”
Elsewhere, Dimbleby, who joined the BBC as a news reporter in Bristol in the 1960s, expressed dismay over the corporation’s impending job cuts.
The BBC is aiming to achieve £500m in savings over two years, with the announced redundancies expected to be implemented over the next three years.
Up to 2,000 employees are at risk of losing their positions – and now Dimbleby has said he is “appalled” by the decision.
“Why on earth have they done that?” he asked. “The best analysis of politics, both national and international… I’m appalled. Very bad, bad, bad, bad, bad call.”
A staff member at the corporation told The Independent that there is “an obvious disconnect” within the organisation as presenters receive six-figure salaries while staff members face redundancies and cuts, leading to low morale.
“The mood at the BBC is pretty low at the moment,” the anonymous employee said. “There is a feeling that senior leadership and older staff members enjoy better salaries, better pensions, and huge redundancy payouts, while younger and more junior staff are asked to make do on one per cent pay rises and have little room for progression.”
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