Carol Vorderman leaves BBC radio show over anti-government social media posts

Carol Vorderman is to leave her weekly show on BBC Radio Wales after breaking BBC guidelines with vocal attacks against the government on social media.

The presenter, who has hosted the Saturday morning show for four years, is an outspoken critic of the government on X, formerly Twitter.

The BBC recently published new social media rules for stars and staff.

Vorderman said she was not "prepared to lose my voice on social media" and managers "have decided I must leave".

She has almost 900,000 followers, and her previous posts include one on Saturday that said: "This iteration of the Tory Party needs to be utterly dismantled at the next election."

On the same day, she commented on a post from Home Secretary Suella Braverman, who said she and the "law-abiding majority" want to stop people who "cause nuisance and distress" by pitching tents in public spaces.

Vorderman wrote: "What I want to stop, and what the law abiding majority wants to stop is your vile government clinging onto power for a day longer."

In a statement on Wednesday, the presenter 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."

Vorderman said she was sad to leave her "wonderful friends" at Radio Wales. "I wish them, and all of our listeners, all the love in the world."

She added: "But for now, another interesting chapter begins."

Vorderman joined Radio Wales to host a Sunday show in 2018 before moving to Saturdays the following year.

A spokesperson for the station said: "Carol has been a presenter on BBC Radio Wales since 2018. We'd like to thank her for her work and contribution to the station over the past five years."

The BBC declined to comment further and pointed to Vorderman's statement.

The overhaul of the corporation's social media rules followed an outcry after Gary Lineker posted a comment comparing UK asylum policy to 1930s Germany.

There are now stricter impartiality rules for the hosts of selected "flagship programmes" like Match of the Day, Strictly Come Dancing and The Apprentice.

All BBC staff and freelancers are also "required to respect civility in public discourse and to not bring the BBC into disrepute", the new guidelines say.

Vorderman's Radio Wales show was not on the "flagship" list, and the issue with her posts is understood to have been to do with civility, rather than impartiality.

Vorderman, from north Wales, made her name as the maths wizard on TV game show Countdown in the 1980s, and has also hosted shows including Better Homes and The Pride of Britain Awards.