Helen Mirren says the BBC must be ‘protected’ from politicians ‘turning their beady eyes’ on it

Actor said the BBC was a ‘fine, fine institution’

Helen Mirren has said that the “amazing” BBC needs to be protected from the “beady eyes” of politicians.

Last month, the Conservative government announced plans to abolish the licence fee, therefore effectively cutting funding for the BBC, by 2027.

Culture secretary Nadine Dorries introduced a two-year freeze that she said would “be the last”, suggesting that the UK should “discuss and debate new ways of funding, supporting and selling” TV programmes.

In a new interview with the Radio Times, Mirren said the BBC was a “fine, fine institution” that had to be saved from politicians scared of scrutiny.

“It’s so interesting that as politicians find themselves teetering on the pinnacle of their ambition, they all turn their beady eyes on the BBC because the BBC is turning its beady eyes on them,” the actor said.

“And they can’t stand it, one after the other, they attack the BBC – and that is exactly why we need the BBC.”

Mirren said that she feared the BBC going the same “terrible” way as PBS in the US, which she said “just scrapes along with a lot of investment by very kind wealthy people”.

She is the latest in a long line of cultural figures to speak out in defence of the BBC following Dorries’ announcement.

At the time, comedian Nish Kumar called the Tory government “a pack of p***ed up cultural vandals”, while Dragons’ Den’s Deborah Meaden tweeted: “For those kicking the BBC right now...you will miss it when it’s gone......”

Louis Theroux has also defended the broadcaster, saying: “I like and support the BBC. I pay my licence fee very willingly. I don’t know much about Nadine Dorries but I feel as though people aren’t getting the full picture.”