12 days later, the BBC finally admits Fiona Bruce did make fun of Diane Abbott

The BBC has reportedly admitted that Fiona Bruce did make fun of Diane Abbott, 12 days after denying this happened.

‘Hostile’

Abbott appeared on BBC Question Time on 17 January. As The Canary reported, audience members witnessed host Fiona Bruce creating a “hostile atmosphere” towards Abbott before the show. This wasn’t the only issue. Because on air, Bruce joined right-wing columnist Isabel Oakeshott in wrongly attacking the shadow home secretary’s polling data. Since then, tens of thousands of people have called for the state broadcaster to issue an apology.

Now, 12 days after the show, according to the Mirror, the BBC has admitted “in private correspondence” that:

presenter Fiona Bruce did make ­light-hearted personal comments… an email from show editors to the Shadow Home Secretary confirms Bruce made what she believed were good-humoured remarks during the warm-up.

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“Light-hearted”?

As an audience member told The Canary, before the show, Bruce:

took it upon herself to instigate a roast. Comments such as ‘let her know what you really think’ and ‘some may think she is in the shadow cabinet because of her very close relationships with Corbyn, nudge nudge, wink wink’ were made…

A spokesperson for Abbott told The Canary that they were “appalled” and said:

Read on...

It was clear that a hostile atmosphere was whipped up, propped up by reports of inappropriate and sexist commentary in the audience warm-up session.

Yet, when The Canary contacted the BBC for comment, it denied these allegations, saying:

We firmly reject claims that any of the Question Time team treated any of the panel unfairly before and during the recording last night.

Now, the BBC has passed these comments off as ‘humour’.

“Despicable”

The BBC‘s comments angered many people:

Questioning a woman's role because of who she may have been involved with, no matter how "light hearted" is despicable. That they are made by another woman is worse!#BoycottQT

BBC admits Fiona Bruce DID make 'light-hearted' Diane Abbott comments https://t.co/lQcZQ9B8Nu

— 🌹p҉s҉y҉c҉h҉e҉d҉e҉l҉i҉c҉ ҉o҉d҉i҉n҉🌹 (@MickDavies1968) January 28, 2019

BBC now admit that just before Diane Abbott appeared on the question time panel, that the chair of the BBCqt panel made jokes at Abbott's expense to the Question Time audience. This admission comes 12 days after concerns were first raised.

— Tory Fibs (@ToryFibs) January 28, 2019

So finally the truth gets out. Fiona Bruce DID agitate the audience with a tale of Diane Abbott's former relationship with JC, totally undermining her before going on TV. I note the admission is from the BBC NOT Bruce however. Another on-air apology needed or she needs to go.

— Damo 🌹 #GTTO #JC4PM2019 (@Cornish_Damo) January 28, 2019

This drip by drip apology, that STILL isn't an apology, demonstrates further the need for media reform. Only @UKLabour will do that #ChangeTheMedia #IStandWithDianeAbbott

BBC admits Fiona Bruce DID make 'light-hearted' Diane Abbott comments https://t.co/4V4uLrHnQk

— Gayle Letherby 🌹#GTTO #JC4PM2019 (@gletherby) January 28, 2019

People were particularly angry because of the ongoing racist abuse and harassment that Abbott endures:

Should we allow the victim or the perpetrator the final say when describing abuse? Diane Abbott said the 'BBC was legitimising racism.' The BBC said it was 'light-hearted' and 'good natured.' They can't both be right. #ShowTheTape #BeatBBCBias #HackneyAbbott

— Jolyon Gardner #GTTO #JC4PM2019 (@Calumets) January 28, 2019

Many people also feel that the BBC should release tapes of the pre-show footage:

Unbelievably, in this day and age, and in the context of the blanket coverage of Jeremy Corbyn's supposed anti-semitism, the BBC characterises its own racism towards Diane Abbott as 'light-hearted' and 'good-humoured!' #ShowTheTape #BeatBBCBias #HackneyAbbott

— Jolyon Gardner #GTTO #JC4PM2019 (@Calumets) January 28, 2019

After @bbcquestiontime admitted they made 'light hearted' jokes about #DianeAbbott the BBC now have a public duty to release the footage, if they have the footage & not releasing it that means they hiding something & we know that is, the jokes were not 'Light-Hearted' #bbcqt

— Valleyboy (@welshlad79) January 28, 2019

BBC finally confirm that Fiona Bruce DID MAKE fun out of Diane Abbott before the #bbcqt show started.
The BBC must now release the pre-show footage. https://t.co/W8LKyYRkpA

— Devutopia (@D_Raval) January 28, 2019

There is nothing ‘funny’ about sexist or racist comments. And there never will be. There’s quite simply no excuse for Bruce’s ‘humour’. Until Abbott receives a full apology, the BBC is not off the hook.

Featured images via screengrab and Wikimedia