BBC Countryfile’s Christmas in the Park slammed by guests as BBC apologise

The event didn’t go down well with customers (Pictures: The Sun/News Licensing/LNP)

BBC Countryfile’s Christmas in the Park has been slammed by guests and called a ‘rip-off’, with the BBC apologising for conditions at the festive event caused by the weather. 

The festive event saw customers charged £80 per day, with the programme featuring appearances from presenters of the show, Christmas workshops and baking seminars.

However, as the Sun reports, disappointed fans left to go home from the rain-affected site after just an hour as there was nothing for them to do. 

The likes of Matt Baker, Sean Fletcher, John Craven and Anita Rani all attended the event, appearing on the main stage for live shows.

The weather also impacted the festivities, which ran from Friday to Saturday last week, with cars stuck in the thick mud and families with wheelchairs struggling to make their way into the park.

Speaking about the event, Helena Townley told the paper: ‘The summer shows are great but this one was just awful. It was supposed to be a Christmas event but didn’t feel Christmassy at all.

The event featured stars of the BBC show (Picture: Simon Chapman/LNP)

The site was impacted by the bad weather (Picture: The Sun/News Licensing)

‘There was no festive atmosphere whatsoever, there was no carol singing, no reindeer and the only Father Christmas I saw looked miserable as he was covered in mud.

‘The stars of the show are supposed to be here, but I’ve not seen them in the main marquee.’

Another said on Facebook: ‘We have travelled 4 hours and stayed 2 nights locally for this, but we did it all in 2 hours.

The event ran from Friday to Saturday (Picture: Simon Chapman/LNP)

‘No animals, no Christmas feel (not even a grotto), very few stalls and hardly any activities for children. If you haven’t bought tickets yet …. Don’t bother.’

A BBC Studios spokesperson said: ‘Countryfile Christmas in the Park’s ticket prices were in line with other similar events in the UK and attracted over 13000 visitors – but due to the outdoor nature of the event, rainfall did cause some areas of the park to be muddy underfoot. 

‘We advised visitors to bring appropriate footwear however we apologise to anybody who found the terrain difficult.’

Countryfile is available to stream on BBC iPlayer

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