Question Time with Fiona Bruce

Agree with those who've pointed out how women presenters are mainly thin and glossy-looking. I'd like to see someone like Mary Beard in the job.

I don't like Bruce's style, but I wasn't that keen on Dimbleby either. Maybe she needs time to settle into the role and make it her own. She might mature, like a fine wine....

Apparently TV makes people look fatter so the only acceptable shape for a presenter, especially a female one, is, stick thin. It is quite hard to think of any woman on tv who is of average size.

Yes it's true that women TV presenters have to look attractive, and stick thin. It's annoying the way they have to stand at the beginning of the news, displaying themselves, ........it's not a fashion parade, and it just shows how far women still have to go to be taken seriously, even in the 21st century.

I agree Eloethan . Any one of these serious TV presenters, who are more knowledgeable than Fiona Bruce, but perhaps not so glamorous, would have done a better job.

I liked David Dimbleby. If he interrupted a speaker it was only to point out inconsistencies in what he/she was saying, with reference to what he/she had said and done in the past.

I like Fiona Bruce on Antiques Roadshow but I don't think she's suitable for Question Time. I thought it was time for a woman to head up this programme but I think there were far better qualified candidates for the job. Women who have great experience in political broadcasting and who have a much better knowledge of current affairs
- such as Kirsty Wark, Emily Maitlis, and, my personal favourite, Anita Anand (previous stints on Daily Politics and now presents Any Answers).

It would make more sense if the audience was properly balanced and not selected by ex UKIP member Alison Fuller Pedley.

I'm surprised at the negative comments regarding Fiona Bruce. I really like the way she handles the panel and the audience, cutting off panellists who are waffling or not answering the question. I had pretty much stopped watching until she took over, but now try to watch every week.
As the audience are an integral part of the programme (unlike Question of Sport et al), it makes sense to me that they try to select a balanced group.

David Dimbleby could never disguise his political allegience.

He was, like Andrew Neil, a Tory through and through, and an ardent enthusiastic advocate of brexit.

His brother Jonathon, as question master on Any Questions, did a better job of disguising his own views, and I am sorry to see him stepping down from that role.

Bring back David Dimbleby - I thought he was perfect for the role.

The BBC has always shrugged off accusations of bias by saying if left and right both accuse them of bias , it proves the BBC is unbiased. It does not.

varian that is very enlightening, although somehow not surprising. I have found the BBC coverage since the referendum generally biased in favour of the leave campaign, but friends who are leavers won't watch it because they think the opposite. I suppose we see bias according to our pre formed beliefs, I admit that I do.

POGS what????
I think your constant need to contradict me, even when I haven't said anything, is showing

It is not just a question of left and right. The centre of the political spectrum is rarely represented and I hardly ever here anyone express what I and so many others feel about the disaster that is brexit.

Yes, you sometimes get a politician who says they were a remainer but "we must respect the result of the referendum". I don't respect it at all. It was ill- conceived, fraudulent and won by cheating and lies and the only reason that it has not been annulled is because it was advisory. It was not, and never could be "an instruction from the people" We live in a parliamentary democracy.

There are many examples of pro-brexit bias on the part of the BBC. QT is only one, but allowing Alison Fuller Pedley to select the audience for twenty years is an utter disgrace.

trisher

I think that is a red herring as QT always has a panel of 5 and 3 are from the left of politics and 2 are from the right.

The UKIP names would have been on QT as Leave panelists, why not ? The balanced, factual evidence and question would be ' When a UKIP panelist appeared how many Remain or Leave panelists were on that particular programme?

Mind you as with the 3/2 disparity which always favours the left of politics QT does the same with Remain / Leave panelists in favour of Remain panelists.

That's why QT should be unbiased and have either a 2/2 or 3/3 evenly distributed panel who come from both left and right of politics or Remain or Leave panelists.

It is not just the Question Time audience that is selected to be pro-brexit, just look at the inclusion of MEPs on the QT panel

twitter.com/JPCherr/status/1048904410703777792?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1049649904652574721&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theneweuropean.co.uk%2Ftop-stories%2Fare-all-meps-on-question-time

Crumbs, varian, I had no idea. There do sometimes seem to some career right-wingers in the QT audiences (and Any Questions) but assumed that they were just keener to turn up and liked the sound of their own voices.

That's interesting Varian. It is obvious to me that the audience have to be selected as best as is possible or presumably one large group could all turn up and then dictate how the show goes. I quite like Fiona Bruce and the way she stops windbag on the panel from dominating but I have to admit to being seriously disappointed with the author (Lionel) who wrote the wonderful book 'we need to talk about Kevin".

Audience selection for Question Time has been done for the last twenty years by Alison Fuller Pedley job title ‘Audience Producer at BBC Question Time’, and member of the British Patriotic Front Facebook group. She also promotes ‘Britain First’ online."

www.facebook.com/cpbfreedom/posts/step-forward-alison-fuller-pedley-job-title-audience-producer-at-bbc-question-ti/1155709694524420/

But it’s not just the facebook group. Far-right Islamophobe Douglas Murray is “always a great panellist” on Question Time, Pedley writes. She “likes” far-right journalists Melanie Phillips and “shock jock” Jon Gaunt. In May, she “liked” a clip of Nigel Farage obliquely excusing violence. The same month, she encouraged Brexiteers “Better Off Out” and UKIP South Leicestershire to join a Channel 4 audience. In 2008, she invited two Republican groups to apply for a US Question Time audience. It seems these right-wing groups are the only ones Pedley publicly contacted.

www.opendemocracy.net/ourbeeb/tim-holmes/is-question-time-s-audience-producer-really-fascist

I presume that prospective audience members don't have to go through this rigmarole if applying for eg A Question of Sport, HIGNFYetc!

I quite like her presenting the Antiques Road Show and was looking forward to a change from Dimbleby, but confess I haven't stayed up to watch it for a couple of weeks - not particularly because of Fiona.

You could make things up Jalima but I guess they have to attempt a balanced audience. What else could they do? I am so disappointed in Fiona Bruce as chair, after being pleased that a woman had been chosen for the role. I was so irritated in the first episodes by her constant interruptions, and it seems to be all about her as a tv "celebrity" so I have given up watching. I am inclined to agree with trisher that TV still chooses women on the basis of their looks.

I thought you just put your name, phone numbers, perhaps address on the application form.


Mind you, you could make up anything

Jalima- I thought it would be interesting to go to a recording when it was near us.
I looked at the form and changed my mind.
I’ve just caught up on last nights episode.
So depressing, all of it.

Well, I love Fiona Bruce particularly on the Antiques programmes, and Fake or Fortune. QT is imo pass its sell by date and whoever chairs it has got an uphill battle, but I like her on that too!

Jo Coburn is the lady I was thinking of.