All-male comedy panel shows ‘not acceptable’, admits BBC chief as he promises change
The BBC will no longer make all-male comedy panel shows, Danny Cohen, head of the BBC's television output, has said.
He told the Observer that it was ‘not acceptable’, adding "We're not going to have any more panel shows with no women on them”.
A spokesperson has said that while there may be episodes of shows such as Mock The Week and QI which have yet to be aired that do not feature a female panellist, from now on, all shows filmed will feature at least one woman.
"There may be very rare occasions where shows that were already recorded – or whose panels were already booked ahead of the order – still have all-male line-ups, but hopefully the change should really become apparent," the spokesperson said.
This follows the BBC Trust telling Tony Hall, director-general of the BBC, that it was a ‘matter of urgency’ to get more women on air.