It’s A Sin creator and Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies has blasted Nadine Dorries following the culture secretary’s disparaging comments about the BBC.
According to the i, the creator of a string of TV hits called the Tory minister a “f***ing idiot” and questioned her claims of nepotism at the corporation since she once gave a job to her own daughter.
“The woman’s an idiot, a big f***ing idiot,” the publication reported Davies saying, adding that he thought the government wants to “control culture”.
Against the backdrop of the broadcaster’s next licence fee settlement, Dorries this week claimed the BBC is staffed by people whose parents worked for the corporation.
She said: “We’re having a discussion about how the BBC can become more representative of the people who pay the licence fee, and how it can be more accessible to people from all backgrounds, not just people whose mum and dad worked there.”
Dorries’ previous comments on the arts have also alarmed many within the industry, particularly her 2017 lament at what she perceived as the impact of “left-wing snowflakes” on culture.
Dorries, who is also an author, wrote: “Left wing snowflakes are killing comedy, tearing down historic statues, removing books from universities, dumbing down panto, removing Christ from Christmas and suppressing free speech. Sadly, it must be true, history does repeat itself. It will be music next.”
And last year she described the BBC as as favouring “strident, very left wing, often hypocritical and frequently patronising views that turn people away”.
Asked by the i if the government cares about culture, Davies said: “I think they care very much about controlling it. They are doing everything to change voting, rules. They’re doing everything to get in power and stay in power.”
He also criticised Dorries for reportedly gave her daughter a job as office manager in her private office in 2013.
Davies said: “She talked about the BBC having nepotism when she employed her own daughter.”
A government source said: “Personal and deeply unpleasant attacks like this don’t reflect well on the organisation and shouldn’t be tolerated. It’s obviously not true that the BBC is being privatised now or at any time in the future.”