BBC allegedly paid £50k to train former Manchester United star Dion Dublin for Homes Under the Hammer role
Manchester United star Dione Dublin has come under fire for allegedly benefitting to the tune of £50k from a BBC diversity fund aimed at increasing on-screen representations of minorities, in order to train for his role as a presenter on Homes Under the Hammer.
According to The Sun Dublin, a millionaire who raked in tens of thousands of pounds a week during a 20 year stint at top flight clubs such as Aston Villa and Manchester United, was the single biggest beneficiary of the fund – crowding out other perhaps more eligible candidates for support.
Dublin made his daytime TV debut in April last year to some derision from critics who were sceptical of his career change and presenting abilities, despite the BBC’s largesse.
Commenting on the reports a BBC spokesman confirmed that the fund had been used to assist Dione but refused to give an exact figure. They said: “We’re proud the fund has helped develop a significant number of presenters, writers and producers from ethnic minority backgrounds to make sure that the BBC fully represents the UK.
“Money from the fund is used to support training and development of new talent – none has gone to Dion directly.”
In addition to appearances on Homes Under the Hammer Dublin is also a regular commentator on Sky Sports and co-presenter on BBC Radio 5 Live and Match of the Day 2.
The BBC fund, established in 2014, pays out £2.1m a year to develop ethnic minority talent