Carol Vorderman departs BBC radio program amidst controversy following social media criticism of the government

BBC Radio Wales presenter Carol Vorderman will be leaving her weekly show after breaching BBC guidelines by criticising the government on social media. Vorderman, who has been hosting the Saturday morning show for five years, is known for being a vocal critic of the government on social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter). The BBC recently introduced new impartiality rules for its stars and staff. Vorderman stated that she was not willing to lose her voice on social media and expressed disappointment that managers have decided she must leave the show. She has nearly 900,000 followers, and her previous posts include one calling for the Tory Party to be dismantled in the next election. In response to a post from Home Secretary Suella Braverman, Vorderman expressed her desire to see the current government removed from power. Despite the show having a light-hearted tone and no political content, Vorderman was informed that the new guidelines applied to all her social media content throughout the year. She made the decision to continue criticizing the government and expressed her love for the country and determination to fight for what she believes in. As a result, she has breached the new guidelines and BBC Wales management has asked her to leave. Vorderman expressed sadness at leaving her colleagues at Radio Wales but said that another interesting chapter begins for her. The BBC thanked her for her contribution to the station over the past five years. Vorderman is the first star to leave the BBC due to the overhaul of its social media rules, which were finalized in September. The new guidelines state that all BBC employees should ensure their social media activity does not compromise the BBC's reputation or their own professional impartiality. However, Vorderman's show is not considered a "flagship program" with a specific responsibility to uphold the BBC's impartiality. Other staff and freelancers, excluding journalists and executives, are not required to uphold impartiality but must respect civil discourse and avoid bringing the BBC into disrepute.