BBC forced to deny 'censoring Brexit' after controversial 'off-air request' is revealed

The BBC were accused of “banning Brexit” after mention of the issue was blocked on a current affairs panel programme this morning. Carrie Gracie, who hosts BBC’s Dateline, had told the four panellists in an “off-air conversation” to not bring up Brexit. This was revealed during the show after two of the panellists mentioned Brexit, depsite admitting they “were not allowed to”.

The weekly BBC programme, which involves four foreign correspondents, discussed the G20 summit and the US-Mexican border crisis – but Brexit was left off the panel discussion.

The reason why was explained when John Fisher Burns, a former New York Times correspondent, revealed the “ban”.

He said: “You did say when we were talking off-air that we couldn’t refer to, if not discuss any, at large the issue of Brexit.”

This prompted Gracie to say: “I’m not censoring anything. I just want to be clear to the audience I’m not censoring anything.”

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Gracie added: “I just said I think the audience needs a break from Brexit.”

The bizarre Brexit ban was brought up again when Marc Roche, a French journalist for Le Point, mocked Britain’s recent free trade deals.

He said: “I don’t want to go into Brexit I promise you. I’m not allowed.

“But, despite this climate of trade war, the EU just signed an agreement with South America.