Entertainment
Nish Kumar demands answers from BBC on whether The Mash Report axe was ‘political decision’
Nish Kumar has demanded answers from the BBC about whether The Mash Report’s political ‘affiliation’ led to its cancellation.
Last month, the BBC confirmed that The Mash Report had been axed, saying: ‘‘We are very proud of The Mash Report but in order to make room for new comedy shows we sometimes have to make difficult decisions and it won’t be returning.’
However, it was reported that the satirical show’s cancellation was part of a crackdown on the BBC’s ‘perceived left-wing bias’, following the introduction of new director-general Tim Davie.
Kumar said that he privately asked if the show’s stance led to its cancellation, but has yet to receive a response.
The 35-year-old told The New York Times: ‘I want the BBC to clarify it, not for my sake, either way, I’m getting fired. But for the health of the corporation.
‘They need to make a definitive statement that it was not a political decision. Because what precedent does that set otherwise?’
The comedian said that he would not host a political show on the BBC again, saying: ‘Why would I put myself back in that position if, when push comes to it, they’re not going to back me?’
While he remains an advocate for the organisation, he worries that the discussions around the BBC’s commentary is a ‘proxy battle’ for its existence, and added: ‘It feels like they’re trying to appease people who aren’t actually in search of appeasement but are actually actively out for their total destruction.’
The Mash Report, which featured Kumar and comedian Rachel Parrish, was a spin-off of the satirical website The Daily Mash, and ran for four series.
While it had modest ratings, clips from the show like ‘How to not sexually harass someone’ went viral on social media and it was a success on iPlayer.
However, the show attracted much criticism from conservative figures, with Andrew Neil – who has since jumped ship from the BBC to start GB News – calling The Mash Report ‘self-satisfied, self-adulatory, unchallenged left-wing propaganda’.
Defenders of the show, though, noted that conservative comedian Geoff Norcott often featured on The Mash Report.
The Telegraph last year reported that Tim Davie was considering cancelling left-wing comedy shows to tackle bias and restore the public’s ‘trust and confidence’ in the corporation.
While Davie dismissed the report as ‘nonsense’, he told staff: ‘What I do think though, is the same as my framework for overall impartiality. The BBC should not come from a platform from when there’s an assumed point of view. It’s not just about left and right, it’s different people.’
Sources told The Sun that The Mash Report’s cancellation was part of Davie’s ‘tough measures’ in a ‘radical overhaul’ of content perceived as biased against the Tories and Brexit.
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