Carol Vorderman has hit out at the BBC, suggesting its decision to sack her was “sexist”.
The 63-year-old former Countdown star said in an interview with The Sunday Times Magazine who was “threatened” by the channel for her controversial tweets about the then conservative government.
Carol was sacked from her position at BBC Radio Wales because she was “not prepared to stop” expressing her “strong beliefs” on her social media pages.
In the same week she was sacked, Huw Edwards was arrested for making indecent images of children, a crime to which he pleaded guilty in July.
Speaking to the publication, she said: ‘BBC management made two decisions about two presenters within 24 hours – one was to sack me for five harmless tweets.
Carol Vorderman has launched an attack on the BBC, suggesting its decision to sack her was a “sexist” move after she was booted from her radio show over her views on the Conservatives.
In the same week Carol was sacked, Huw Edwards was arrested for making indecent images of children, to which he pleaded guilty in July.
‘The other option, knowing the seriousness of Huw’s arrest, was to keep him and continue paying his salary, I mean… without sexism!’
Carol had been accused of “blatantly breaching” BBC impartiality rules with her anti-Tory outbursts, which included calling ministers “a bunch of lying, greedy, corrupt, destructive, hateful, divisive and manipulative people”.
The BBC has implemented new social media rules for its presenters following outrage last year over Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker’s tweet comparing government policy in Rwanda to Nazi Germany.
Carol revealed that the change in social media rules was a threat.
She told the publication: “It was a threat. ‘Shut up or we’ll fire you.’ Well, then fire me.”
MailOnline has contacted the BBC for comment.
Some of Carol’s controversial tweets to ministers included one in which she questioned whether the Conservative Party was the “sleaziest ever” and writing on Twitter that the public was “embarrassed” by the Home Secretary’s recent comments about homelessness.
Suella Braverman said on the social media platform that sleeping rough is sometimes a “lifestyle choice” and called for an end to “pitching tents in public spaces”.
The former Countdown star told The Sunday Times Magazine that she was “threatened” by the BBC over her controversial political tweets.
Carol was sacked from her position at BBC Radio Wales because she was “not prepared to stop” expressing her “strong beliefs” on her social media pages.
The presenter said she was “not willing to stop” from expressing her “strong beliefs” on Twitter and Instagram.
Carol had been accused of “blatantly breaching” BBC impartiality rules with her anti-Tory outbursts, calling ministers “a bunch of lying, greedy… divisive, manipulative criminals”.
Carol quoted her post, saying: ‘What I want to stop, and what the law-abiding majority wants to stop, is your vile government from clinging to power one more day.
“You don’t speak for us. Every week you debase democracy even more. We are ashamed of you. Go away now.”
In August 2023, the presenter mocked Penny Mordaunt’s call to reinstate the national service.
She wrote: “Bring back the National Service!” screams Penny Mordaunt. What a load of rubbish! She also says that only Tories believe in personal responsibility and looking after others. WOW! The current Tories only care about themselves and their snouts in the troughs of power and money. FACT!
And in June 2023 he tweeted: “The Tory government has lost around half of those who voted for it in 2019. Why? Because they are a bunch of lying, corrupt, destructive, hateful, divisive and manipulative people. There is no need for a focus group, Sunak… they will just tell you the same thing…”
Huw, 62, was arrested on suspicion of receiving the images via a WhatsApp exchange with paedophile Alex Williams, 25, in November 2023. He was charged earlier this year on June 26.
In July, Huw pleaded guilty to possessing seven Category A images, 12 Category B images and 22 Category C images of children at Westminster Magistrates’ Court.
Until last year, the former newsreader was one of the main presenters on BBC One’s News at Ten programme, often covering major national events.
And although he has not appeared on the BBC programme for more than a year, he has been allowed to keep his monthly salary.
Huw has never made any public comments in the year since he was suspended.
MailOnline understands he did not receive any payment from the BBC, but did receive his £439,000-a-year salary while he was suspended.
Huw was the corporation’s highest-paid news presenter, with a salary of between £435,000 and £439,999 in 2022/2023, according to the corporation’s most recent annual report.
Huw, 62, was arrested on suspicion of receiving the images via a WhatsApp exchange with paedophile Alex Williams, 25, in November 2023. He was charged earlier this year on June 26.
This represented an increase of £410,000 – £414,000 on the previous year, putting him fourth on the 2022/23 list.
Television executive and former ITN editor-in-chief and chief executive Stewart Purvis said last year: ‘Huw Edwards has been paid half a million pounds a year to do nothing – I don’t think that situation could have continued for much longer.
‘They say it is at the request of Huw Edwards but there will be relief across the BBC that this situation has been resolved because, frankly, it has become embarrassing for the BBC how long it has taken to resolve this.
He continued: “Given the high profile of Huw Edwards and given all the other issues at stake, for example, who is going to present the BBC’s election night programme?”