GET THE APP
Monday, February 23, 2026

Tag: BBC
October 27, 2025
News

Left Rally Round ‘Death to the IDF’ Singer After Louis Theroux Loses Sponsor for Softball Interview.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Leftists are rallying around Pascal Robinson-Foster, a.k.a. Bobby Vylan, who chanted “Death, death to the IDF” at a music festival and performed a song including the lyrics “I heard you want your country back, ha, shut the f**k up, you can’t have that.” This follows British Airways withdrawing a sponsorship from Louis Theroux and his podcast for giving Vylan a softball interview.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: British Airways, Louis Theroux, and Bobby Vylan.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The podcast episode aired earlier this month; British Airways’ response followed shortly after.

💬KEY QUOTE: “We and our third-party media agency have processes in place to ensure these issues don’t occur, and we’re investigating how this happened.” – British Airways spokesman.

🎯IMPACT: The sponsorship has been paused, and the associated advert removed.

IN FULL

British Airways (BA) has pulled sponsorship from Louis Theroux’s podcast following a softball interview with Pascal Robinson-Foster, a.k.a. Bobby Vylan, the frontman of the hip-hop duo Bob Vylan. Bobby Vylan was previously broadcast leading chants of “Death, death to the IDF” (Israel Defense Forces) at a music festival by the BBC, and also produced a song directed at anti-mass migration patriots, including the lyrics “I heard you want your country back, ha, shut the f**k up, you can’t have that.”

A spokesman for the airline stated, “The interview breaches our sponsorship policy in relation to politically sensitive or controversial subject matters.” They added, “We and our third-party media agency have processes in place to ensure these issues don’t occur, and we’re investigating how this happened. Our sponsorship of the series has now been paused, and the advert has been removed.”

Notably, on the podcast, Vylan defended his Glastonbury “Death to the IDF” chant, saying he had no regrets and would do it again, and that BBC employees cheered him on.

However, some on the left are rallying around Vylan—in part by throwing Theroux under the bus. “But oh wait, no, it was interviewing someone critical of Israel that was the problem,” commented activist Phillip Proudfoot, sharing a promotional image for Theroux’s Louis and the Nazis documentary.

Commentator Bushra Shaikh complained that “British Airways was fine sponsoring Louis Theroux’s podcast when he was interviewing Daniella Weiss, the psychopathic genocide-supporting Israeli settler leader” while drawing a “red line” against “Bob Vylan’s hurty words about the IDF.”

New Lines Magazine Associate Editor Idrees Ahmas was more sympathetic to Theroux—who was not sympathetic to the aforementioned subjects in the way he was to Vylan—saying, “So [British Airways] is trying to financially punish a British journalist to protect from criticism a foreign army implicated in a genocide? This is a game two can play. Add BA to the boycott list. There are better and cheaper alternatives.”

The Trump administration withdrew the Vylan duo’s U.S. visas in the wake of the chanting scandal, with Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau remarking, “Foreigners who glorify violence and hatred are not welcome visitors to our country.”

Join Pulse+ to comment below, and receive exclusive e-mail analyses.

show less
show more
September 9, 2025
Media
Sports

BBC: Wanting to Stop Boats Filled With Illegal Migrants Is Racist.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The BBC faced backlash after a post accusing the “Stop the Boats” campaign against illegal immigration of being racist was published on their live coverage of an England vs Andorra football (soccer) match.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The BBC, Refom Party lawmaker Lee Anderson, Defund the BBC Campaign Director Rebecca Ryan, England football fans, and social media users.

📍WHEN & WHERE: During England’s 2-0 victory over Andorra at Villa Park in Birmingham.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The BBC need to stick to the day job rather than trying to stoke up more division.” – Lee Anderson

🎯IMPACT: The incident sparked criticism of the BBC for failing to meet its legal requirements to remain impartial, and renewed calls to defund the state broadcaster.

IN FULL

The BBC is facing renewed backlash after a controversial post accusing the anti-illegal immigration “Stop the Boats” campaign of racism was published during live coverage of England‘s 2-0 soccer victory over Andorra. The live update, titled ‘No sign of racist post,’ stated, “Thankfully there’s no sign of the ‘Stop The Boats’ flags that were being offered to supporters outside. Having a scan round the stadium now, I can’t see any.”

A BBC spokesman claimed the post was a draft “accidentally published” before going through editorial checks. “It was identified and removed immediately,” the spokesman said. However, critics say it is a sign of the public broadcaster’s institutional bias. Notably, the public broadcaster is funded through a compulsory license fee enforced through criminal fines backed by the threat of imprisonment, and therefore legally required to be politically impartial.

“The BBC need to stick to the day job rather than trying to stoke up more division,” said Lee Anderson, a Member of Parliament (MP) and Chief Whip for Nigel Farage’s Reform Party.

Rebecca Ryan, Director of Defund the BBC, defended the public’s right to oppose illegal immigration without being branded racist. “Wanting secure borders and fairness for taxpayers has nothing to do with skin color, it’s about law, order, and common sense,” she said.

Earlier this year, the broadcaster was found to have breached its own editorial guidelines more than 1,500 times in just a few weeks of coverage of the Israel-Hamas war. In July, a BBC documentary titled Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone was pulled after it was revealed that the main interviewee, a 13-year-old boy, was the son of a senior Hamas official, a fact omitted from the film.

Hostility to conservative viewpoints is deeply entrenched in soccer, with Rangers Football Club being charged with racism by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) in March after fans displayed a banner during a Europa League match that read, “Keep woke foreign ideologies out—defend Europe.” Officials who branded this “racist and discriminatory.”

Join Pulse+ to comment below, and receive exclusive e-mail analyses.

show less
show more
July 3, 2025
Media
TECH

Trump DOJ Targets Media-Tech Alliance in Antitrust Lawsuit.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The Department of Justice (DOJ) has entered a legal battle involving allegations that major media outlets and tech corporations coordinated to suppress independent journalism through the Trusted News Initiative (TNI).

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Plaintiffs include Children’s Health Defense (CHD), independent publishers, and reporters. Defendants include TNI participants such as the BBC, Reuters, The Associated Press (AP), The Washington Post, and tech firms like Google, Meta, and Microsoft.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The lawsuit was filed in 2023, with the DOJ filing its notice of intent last week in federal court.

💬KEY QUOTE: The DOJ highlighted the CHD lawsuit’s focus on “anticompetitive collusion among competitors over product features” as of particular interest.

🎯IMPACT: The DOJ’s involvement could signal a shift in addressing anticompetitive practices and bolster the plaintiffs’ case against TNI.

IN FULL

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is entering a legal battle challenging an alliance between establishment media outlets and technology corporations accused of stifling independent journalism. According to the lead plaintiff, the Children’s Health Defense (CHD), the Trusted News Initiative (TNI)—a BBC-led international consortium that includes the likes of Reuters, The Associated Press (AP), and The Washington Post—unlawfully coordinated with technology companies to throttle independent media competitors by labeling their reporting as “misinformation” or “disinformation.”

In federal filings, the plaintiffs argue that the collusion between TNI and the technology industry constitutes a violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act, contending the scheme is an anti-competitive practice. While the lawsuit was initially filed in 2023, it languished in federal court until last week, when the DOJ indicated it would soon submit a statement of interest in the case. Notably, a statement of interest is a filing where the DOJ informs a court of its stance on a particular legal issue or argument. Specifically, the DOJ highlighted the CHD lawsuit’s focus on “anticompetitive collusion among competitors over product features” as of particular interest.

Mary Holland, the CEO of CHD, welcomed the Trump administration’s involvement in the case, which could help advance the lawsuit. Plaintiffs argue that the collusion between TNI and social media companies resulted in shadow bans and targeted content removals under the guise of fighting “disinformation.” The plaintiffs state these measures were aimed at restricting their media reach and ability to conduct business.

Founded by the BBC’s former Chief of Staff, Jessica Cecil, TNI publicly presents itself as an international coalition of media outlets, technology corporations, and social media companies working to counter “disinformation.” However, CHD and its co-plaintiffs contend that the organization’s true purpose is to protect the corporate media’s market monopoly, using anti-competitive practices to stifle independent news companies.

In court filings, they cite comments by figures close to TNI’s operations, like former BBC news controller Jamie Angus, who stated that independent media competitors had unleashed “a tidal wave of unchecked [reporting] that’s being piped out mainly through digital platforms.”

Join Pulse+ to comment below, and receive exclusive e-mail analyses.

show less
show more
May 19, 2025
News
UK

Top Paid BBC Star Quits Over Anti-Semitic Meme.

PULSE POINTS:

❓What Happened: Gary Lineker is leaving the BBC after criticism for sharing an anti-Semitic Instagram post.

👥 Who’s Involved: Gary Lineker, BBC Director-General Tim Davie, Campaign Against Antisemitism, and the Palestine Lobby group.

📍Where & When: Announcement made Monday; Lineker steps down from the Match of the Day soccer show after this season.

💬 Key Quote: “I would never consciously repost anything antisemitic—it goes against everything I stand for,” claimed Lineker.

⚠️ Impact: Lineker’s departure ends his 24-year tenure with the BBC and raises questions about impartiality and social media use by public figures.

IN FULL:

Gary Lineker, a former England soccer star and top-paid BBC presenter, will step down from his role at the de facto state broadcaster following backlash over his social media activity. The controversy arose after Lineker reposted an Instagram story from the group Palestine Lobby, which featured a rat and was titled “Zionism explained in two minutes.” The image drew criticism due to its historical association with anti-Semitic propaganda.

In a statement Monday, the BBC confirmed Lineker would leave the corporation entirely after the final episode of the Match of the Day show this season. Lineker, 64, had initially planned to step back from hosting the iconic soccer program but remain involved in other BBC coverage. Instead, he will now depart fully.

BBC Director-General Tim Davie said, “Gary has acknowledged the mistake he made. Accordingly, we have agreed he will step back from further presenting after this season.”

Lineker apologized last week, claiming he had shared the post without realizing its offensive nature. “I would never knowingly share anything antisemitic,” he said, adding that the post was deleted once he became aware of the issue. “Stepping back now feels like the responsible course of action,” he added.

Lineker’s social media activity has previously caused friction with the BBC. In March 2023, he was temporarily suspended for criticizing the British government’s asylum policy, leading the BBC to update its social media guidelines for prominent presenters. The broadcaster and its employees are supposed to be impartial, as the public funds it through a compulsory license fee.

The Campaign Against Antisemitism welcomed Lineker’s departure, accusing him of promoting “dehumanizing and extreme messages” and flouting the BBC’s impartiality rules.

The BBC itself has been accused of bias against Israel in its conflict with Hamas, breaching its own editorial guidelines over 1,500 times. Another BBC star was even linked to funding the terrorist group Hezbollah earlier this month.

Image by Lauren Hurley / No 10 Downing Street.

show less

PULSE POINTS:

show more
May 9, 2025
Christopher Tomlinson
Crime
Media

BBC Star Pleads Guilty to Terror Offenses Linked to Hezbollah.

PULSE POINTS:

❓What Happened: A British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) presenter has pleaded guilty to financial terror offences linked to the terrorist group Hezbollah.

👥 Who’s Involved: Oghenochuko ‘Ochuko’ Ojiri, Hezbollah, Nazem Ahmad, Metropolitan Police.

📍 Where & When: London, England on May 9.

💬 Key Quote: “Nazem Ahmad is a suspected terrorist financier and at the time of the business relationship between them it was directly within the knowledge of the defendant that Ahmad had been sanctioned as a terrorist financier of Hezbollah by the United States.” — The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

⚠️ Impact: The case is just the latest to see a BBC presenter pleading guilty to serious crimes in the United Kingdom.

IN FULL:

A Nigerian-British television star and art dealer has pleaded guilty to financial terrorism offences linked to the Islamist terrorist group Hezbollah following a police probe. Oghenochuko ‘Ochuko’ Ojiri, who starred in the BBC program Bargain Hunt, admitted to eight counts of “failing to make a disclosure during the course of business within the regulated sector” on May 9.

The guilty plea came just a day after Ojiri was charged by prosecutors in London for the offences between October 2020 and December 2021. London’s Metropolitan police said that the charges stemmed from Ojiri’s relationship with a man named Nazem Ahmad, who is suspected of being a source of funding for Hezbollah.

Ahmad, a dual citizen of Belgium and Lebanon, where Hezbollah is based, has previously been sanctioned by both the United Kingdom and the United States due to his links to the terror group. Ojiri sold art worth around $186,000 to Ahmad.

“Nazem Ahmad is a suspected terrorist financier and at the time of the business relationship between them it was directly within the knowledge of the defendant that Ahmad had been sanctioned as a terrorist financier of Hezbollah by the United States,” the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said.

Sentencing for Ojiri is expected next month. So far, the BBC has yet to comment on the case, claiming that any comment would not be appropriate.

The case is just the latest to see a BBC personality prosecuted for serious crimes in recent months. Last year, former lead BBC news anchor Huw Edwards pleaded guilty to making indecent images of children. Edwards, once the highest-paid news anchor at the BBC, was known worldwide for announcing the death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022.

In Australia, another BBC personality was jailed last August for ten years for raping and killing dozens of dogs. pleading guilty to 56 charges of bestiality and animal cruelty the year prior.

Image by Matt Cornock.

show less

PULSE POINTS:

show more
March 31, 2025
Culture
Religion
UK

Britain’s State Broadcaster Just Aired an Eid Ceremony for the First Time.

PULSE POINTS:

❓What Happened: The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) broadcasted a live Eid service from a mosque on British terrestrial TV for the first time.

👥 Who’s Involved: The BBC host Jason Mohammad, Firecracker Scotland, Amplify Consulting, Daisy Scalchi, and Aaqil Ahmed.

📍 Where & When: Bradford Central Mosque, during the morning of Eid.

💬 Key Quote: Daisy Scalchi stated, “This feels like it is absolutely the right moment to be doing something loudly and proudly, celebrating this key moment in the calendar.”

⚠️ Impact: This marks a historic broadcast, as Islam continues to gain cultural dominance despite widespread anti-mass migration protests, sometimes aimed against mosques, last year.

IN FULL:

The BBC, funded by a compulsory television license, has made history by airing a live Eid service from a mosque on British terrestrial television for the first time. The program, Eid Live, was broadcast from Bradford Central Mosque. The city’s demographics have been transformed by Islamic immigration in recent decades.

The broadcast was part of the BBC’s ongoing Faith and Hope season, designed to promote “inclusive” programming. As part of the celebration, an additional show, Celebrity Eid, will bring together prominent Muslim figures and non-Muslims later in the day.

Daisy Scalchi, responsible for religious content commissioning at the BBC, expressed surprise that such a broadcast had not occurred earlier. The initiative is part of a broader BBC effort to enhance religious output, and Scalchi highlighted collaborations with departments like BBC Children’s and BBC Sounds to enrich their religious programming. Firecracker Scotland, in collaboration with Amplify Consulting, is producing the Eid content.

Bradford is currently being celebrated as the UK City of Culture—a controversial decision, with Bradford having been a hotbed for so-called “grooming gangs,” comprised primarily of Muslim men who drug, rape, and pimp mostly white working-class girls.

Image by Time Green.

show less

PULSE POINTS:

show more
March 28, 2025
Media
News
UK

State Broadcaster Offers ‘Support’ to LGBT Staff Following Trump’s Election.

IN BRIEF:

❓What Happened: The BBC issued a support notice for staff impacted by events following the election of U.S. President Donald Trump.

👥 Who’s Involved: The BBC, particularly its LGBTQ+ staff members, received the message from the BBC Pride Board.

📍 Where & When: The notice was issued by the BBC shortly after the 2024 U.S. Presidential election results.

💬 Key Quote: “Our Pride network is here to listen and act, and you can also access confidential assistance through the Peer Support Network or the Employee Assistance Program.” — BBC memo.

⚠️ Impact: The BBC is attempting to support staff morale and provide a safe environment for discussion and support, focusing on diversity and inclusion.

IN FULL:

Following Donald J. Trump’s election as President of the United States, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) issued an emotional notice to LGBT employees. Issued by the BBC Pride Board, the announcement tried to comfort those who may have been distressed. Additionally, the message declared the corporation’s ongoing dedication to fostering a workplace that values diversity, inclusion, and a sense of belonging.

“If you need someone to talk to or require additional support, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Our Pride network is here to listen and act, and you can also access confidential assistance through the Peer Support Network or the Employee Assistance Program,” the memo states. Further initiatives were announced to staff, including opportunities for community engagement and dialogue so staff could share their thoughts.

The memo is unsurprising from the BBC, which has a history of liberal and left-wing bias, breaching guidelines over 1,500 times in its coverage of the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

It is unknown whether similar memos to the BBC Pride memo were issued following the many sexual exploitation cases involving BBC employees and presenters in recent years. Last year, for example, top BBC news anchor Huw Edwards pleaded guilty to child pornography charges. He was the broadcaster’s highest-paid news anchor at the time.

Image by Matt Cornock.

show less

IN BRIEF:

show more
March 5, 2025
Jack Montgomery
Media
War

Even the BBC Says Zelensky Has ‘Run Out of Road.’

President Volodymyr Zelensky’s decision to submit to President Donald J. Trump suggests the Ukrainian leader has “run out of political road,” according to the BBC, which typically cheerleads for him while attempting to undermine the American leader. Following a confrontation with President Trump in the Oval Office—resulting from Zelensky starting a row with Vice President J.D. Vance in front of the press—a pause in U.S. aid for Ukraine was announced. Within hours, Zelensky issued a statement pledging, “My team and I stand ready to work under President Trump’s strong leadership to get a peace that lasts.”

“Washington’s hostile rhetoric, that Oval Office meeting and the ‘pausing’ of US military aid have forced him to bend to Trump’s peace vision,” the state-backed broadcaster argues. It notes that, while European leaders largely backed Zelensky following his White House showdown, with Britain and France even pledging peacekeeping troops, “made clear peace would still require US involvement.”

Most European NATO members have allowed their militaries to shrivel—with President Trump frequently accusing them of being “delinquent” on their alliance defense spending obligations—preferring to spend their money on migrants, net zero policies, and expansive welfare programs instead.

“[W]ith his European allies acknowledging that they still need the US, Washington seems still to be the only place for him to turn to,” the BBC notes.

Zelensky is already compromising by agreeing to sign a deal with the U.S. on rare earth minerals exploration without security assurances. Until now, The Ukrainian leader had been refusing to countenance a ceasefire and certain deals without so-called security guarantees—effectively a promise from the U.S. to go to war with Russia if a ceasefire is broken.

President Trump has made it clear to Zelensky that he is “in no position to dictate” terms to the U.S.

show less
President Volodymyr Zelensky's decision to submit to President Donald J. Trump suggests the Ukrainian leader has "run out of political road," according to the BBC, which typically cheerleads for him while attempting to undermine the American leader. Following a confrontation with President Trump in the Oval Office—resulting from Zelensky starting a row with Vice President J.D. Vance in front of the press—a pause in U.S. aid for Ukraine was announced. Within hours, Zelensky issued a statement pledging, “My team and I stand ready to work under President Trump’s strong leadership to get a peace that lasts.” show more
February 28, 2025
William Upton
Media
UK

BBC Forced to Apologize for Pro-Hamas Documentary Narrated by Son of Terrorist Group Leader.

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is admitting a documentary on Gaza it aired was narrated by the son of a senior leader in the Hamas terrorist group, which perpetrated the barbaric October 7 terrorist attacks against Israel. Gaza: How To Survive A Warzone is narrated by Abdullah al-Yazouri, the son of Hamas’s Deputy Agriculture Minister Ayman al-Yazouri. It cost the BBC over £400,000 (~$503,000) to develop and was produced by Hoyo Films.

“BBC News has conducted an initial review on the programme ‘Gaza: How To Survive A Warzone’. Today the BBC Board was updated on that work. It has identified serious flaws in the making of this programme,” the public broadcaster said in a statement. “Some of these were made by the production company, and some by the BBC; all of them are unacceptable. BBC News takes full responsibility for these and the impact that these have had on the Corporation’s reputation. We apologise for this.”

According to the BBC, Abdullah al-Yazouri was paid a modest sum by Hoyo Films for his narration, though they insist that neither Hamas nor any other terrorist group profited from the production. Additionally, the BBC has pledged to “undertake a full audit of expenditure” for the film.

Shortly after the deadly October 7, 2023 terrorist attacks, the BBC was forced to remove six of its reporters over their pro-Hamas social media posts. BBC News Arabic reporters, including those reporting out of Egypt and Lebanon, appeared to back the Hamas terrorist group or criticize the Jewish state in posts they either tweeted or liked. One reporter liked a message that appeared to describe Hamas terrorists as “freedom fighters.”

Image by Matt Cornock.

show less
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is admitting a documentary on Gaza it aired was narrated by the son of a senior leader in the Hamas terrorist group, which perpetrated the barbaric October 7 terrorist attacks against Israel. Gaza: How To Survive A Warzone is narrated by Abdullah al-Yazouri, the son of Hamas's Deputy Agriculture Minister Ayman al-Yazouri. It cost the BBC over £400,000 (~$503,000) to develop and was produced by Hoyo Films. show more
January 21, 2025
Jack Montgomery
Media

BBC: Trump’s Inaugural Comments on Mars and Manifest Destiny a ‘Nod and a Wink’ to ‘White Supremacist Movement.’

BBC veteran journalist Gabriel Gatehouse branded a reference to Americans “pursu[ing] our manifest destiny… to plant the stars and stripes on the planet Mars” in President Donald J. Trump’s inaugural address a “nod and a wink” to the “white supremacist movement” on the de facto state broadcaster’s flagship politics show.

The BBC, which all Britons who watch live programming—even if none of it is BBC content—are required to fund through a television license fee, is using social media to promote a clip of Gatehouse discussing his idea of “manifest destiny” on its Newsnight program, where he was formerly international editor.

“Manifest destiny was an ideology in the 19th century that talked about moving westwards, the kind of manifest destiny of American colonists to colonize the land, to expand the United States and, you know, wiping out indigenous people as they went,” Gatehouse said.

“I don’t know whether Donald Trump knows what the resonance of that is, but I know that quite a few of his audience do; people on the kind of fringes of the white supremacist movement,” he alleged, adding: “That was a nod and a wink”—which would only make sense if President Trump did, in fact, believe “manifest destiny” was a coded allusion to white supremacy.

Contrary to the claims on the BBC, manifest destiny—properly understood—is actually rooted in the belief that America is an exceptional nation with a providential place among the nations in the world.

The BBC is required by law to be politically impartial. Still, it has been widely regarded even by its own employees as biased and institutionally liberal for years. Reform Party leader Nigel Farage accused it of feeding a hysterical anti-Trump narrative leading up to the assassination attempt against him in Butler, Pennsylvania, in 2024.

show less
BBC veteran journalist Gabriel Gatehouse branded a reference to Americans "pursu[ing] our manifest destiny... to plant the stars and stripes on the planet Mars" in President Donald J. Trump's inaugural address a "nod and a wink" to the "white supremacist movement" on the de facto state broadcaster's flagship politics show. show more