Carol Vorderman quits BBC radio show over new social media guidelines

By Charlotte McLaughlin, PA Senior Entertainment Reporter

Carol Vorderman has announced she is leaving her BBC radio show because she is “not prepared to lose my voice” after the corporation introduced new social media guidelines.

The 62-year-old former Countdown star has had a Saturday morning show on BBC Radio Wales for five years.

Vorderman has been vocal in her criticism of the British government on social media and has had several arguments on X, formerly Twitter, with Tory MPs.

In a statement, she said: “The BBC recently introduced new social media guidelines, which I respect.

“However, despite my show being light-hearted 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.

“Since those non-negotiable changes to my radio contract were made, I’ve 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.

“My decision has been to continue to criticise the current UK Government for what it has done to the country which I love – and I’m not prepared to stop. I was brought up to fight for what I believe in, and I will carry on.

“Consequently I have now breached the new guidelines and BBC Wales management have decided I must leave. We each must make our decisions.

“I’m sad to have to leave the wonderful friends I’ve made at Radio Wales. I wish them, and all of our listeners, all the love in the world. We laughed a lot, and we will miss each other dearly.

“But, for now, another interesting chapter begins.”

Vorderman has 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 as a “deeply unpleasant person”.

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 chairman 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 £25.8 million 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”.

However, when Michael Gove was education secretary more than a decade ago, Vorderman was announced as the head of a maths taskforce.