Carol Vorderman leaves BBC radio show over social media guidelines

‘I’m not prepared to to lose the ability to express the strong beliefs I hold about the political turmoil this country finds itself in,’ broadcaster said

Carol Vorderman has been forced out of her BBC Radio Wales show because she is “not prepared to lose” her voice after the introduction of the corporation’s new social media guidelines.

The broadcaster, 62, who has hosted the Saturday morning programme since 2018, said she had decided to “continue to criticise the UK government” following the crackdown on BBC employees sharing their opinions on social media amid an impartiality row with Gary Lineker.

“I was brought up to fight for what I believe in, and I will carry on,” Vorderman said, revealing that, “consequently, I have now breached the new guidelines and BBC Wales management have decided I must leave,” Vorderman said on X/Twitter.

“After five years, I’m leaving my Saturday morning show on BBC Radio Wales. The BBC recently introduced new social media guidelines which I respect. However, despite my show being lighthearted with no political content, it was explained to me that as it is a weekly show in my name, the new guidelines would apply to all and any content that I post all year round.

The presenter said that, as these changes to her radio contract were “non-negotiable”, she “ultimately found that I'm not prepared to lose my voice on social media, change who I am, or lose the ability to express the strong beliefs I hold about the political turmoil this country finds itself in”.

The former Countdown star, who hosts the annual Pride of Britain awards, said she has decided instead “to continue to criticise the current UK government for what it has done to the country which I love”, stating she “is not prepared to stop” sharing posts speaking out about the government.

Vorderman said she is “sad to have to leave the wonderful friends I've made at Radio Wales”, adding that she “wishes them, and all of our listeners, all the love in the world”.

“We laughed a lot, and we will miss each other dearly, she continued. “But for now, another interesting chapter begins.”

In a statement to The Independent, the BBC said: “Carol has been a presenter on BBC Radio Wales since 2018. We’d like to thank her for her work and contribution to the station over the past five years.”

Vorderman recently posted a number of critical remarks about Johnny Mercer’s performance as veterans’ affairs minister. The pair have had several public arguments and he has referred to her on X/Twitter as a “deeply unpleasant person”.

Vorderman said she ‘wasn’t prepared to lose her voice’ (Getty)

In March, Vorderman called on women’s minister Maria Caulfield to resign after she claimed she could not “be bothered to turn up” to a committee hearing about the menopause.

In September, she is said to have deleted a number of posts about Conservative chair Greg Hands.

Mr Hands had called on her to apologise for what he called “defamatory and damaging” tweets about his involvement in a lifestyle firm being awarded a £25.8m personal protective equipment contract in 2020.

Writing on X, Vorderman said she was “happy to accept Mr Hands’ assurance that his role in the process was simply to refer the approach… [and] there was no impropriety on his part”.