Carol Vorderman’s sudden disappearance from her BBC Radio Wales show last weekend has now been explained by both the broadcaster and her representative.
Despite her being sacked just a few days on from her radio absence, the BBC has now confirmed that Carol wasn’t scheduled to present the programme on Saturday anyway.
Meanwhile, the star’s representative has revealed to Express.co.uk that she was away on holiday at the time and therefore wasn’t available for the broadcast.
It comes after the Countdown presenter, 62, took to X (formerly known as Twitter) yesterday to inform fans she had been sacked by the BBC for breaching its social media guidelines due to her political posts.
Before her departure was announced, Carol was replaced on the airwaves by Caryl Parry Jones, 65, who hosted the show alongside Nathan Sussex.
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While introducing the show on Saturday morning, Caryl told listeners: “It’s Caryl Parry Jones with you on BBC Radio Wales, sitting in for Carol Vorderman.
“But she’s left, thankfully, her radio wife with me again, and he’ll be talking about his Turkey trip later,” she added, in reference to Carol’s pal and regular co-host Nathan.
Carol had been fronting her weekend broadcast since 2019, but announced on Wednesday that she had no choice but to leave the programme behind.
In a statement, she said: “The BBC recently introduced new social media guidelines, which I respect.
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“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.
“I’m sad to have to leave the wonderful friends I’ve made at Radio Wales. I wish them, and all of our listeners, all the love in the world. We laughed a lot, and we will miss each other dearly.
“But, for now, another interesting chapter begins.”
The BBC’s rules were updated following a scandal over Gary Lineker’s political tweets earlier this year, which saw him temporarily suspended from Match of the Day.
The guidelines apply to presenters who have “a particular responsibility to respect the corporation’s impartiality, because of their profile on the BBC”.
The broadcaster’s new rules state that while a programme is on air, and for two weeks before and after the series, high-profile presenters must not endorse or attack a political party, criticise the character of politicians, or comment on any issue of political debate during an election period.
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