Why does the BBC’s Alan Yentob have such a crush for the pantomime dame of British “Charity” Camilla Batmanghelidjh?
“BBC boss Alan Yentob personally intervened in the corporation’s news coverage of a scandal-hit charity of which he is chairman, it was claimed yesterday. Mr Yentob, the BBC’s £330,000-a-year creative director, telephoned Newsnight staff hours before it aired a damning report into Kids Company last month.
Newsnight was about to reveal that government officials were withholding £3million of funding from Kids Company unless its chief executive, Camila Batmanghelidjh stepped down. It is claimed he tried to ‘influence the direction’ of the item – an action that would leave him open to allegations of a conflict of interest.
Mr Yentob did not stop there. The following morning he joined Miss Batmanghelidjh at the studios of Radio 4’s Today programme when she was interviewed. “
Curious. For years now I have wondered why Batmanghelidjh got SUCH an easy ride from the BBC when she was quite clearly barking.
There’s bound to be a backhander somewhere down the line. Mr. Yentob appears to be driven by money, he reminds me, in a way, of Fagin.
Yentob’s passion is perhaps driven by the hope that Ms Batt,etc,etc will become recognised in her new career as a living artform – much like a mobile and to some extent sanitised tribute to Emin’s foul bed. Who knows what might await discovery beneath all those layers, or indeed what Tog rating they could gain.
Saatchi must surely be bidding soon?
Perhaps I’m being unfair but I’ve always found it difficult to take a woman with ‘Batman’ in her name and who wears a bowl of fruit on her head seriously. Also, now I come to think of it, I was wondering where my dish cloths went!
Some very rich material for The Now Show, one would think.
But no, won’t happen will it – yet another of their sacred cows.
I can only think these two have a Common Purpose in life.
I guess you’re right, although it might not be that one in particular. Life is full of such ‘alliances of the mediocre’. After all, that is what the mediocre do, isn’t it – they seek alliances.
Oligophilia.
Not just the Beeb though,David Cameron was an enthusiast some years back ,I think she attended a conference .Any way it suited lots of people to have someone like that , a very memorable person ,appear with them.
Not so much these days I expect.
She’s certainly memorable – who could forget seeing something like that? It would be imprinted on your memory for life. The stuff of nightmares.
She looks like a Carmen Miranda obsessive doing a very bad Boy George tribute act.
She earns 90k per year – hardly enough to keep her in primary colours.
http://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/aug/05/bbc-denies-alan-yentob-influenced-newsnight-kids-company-report?
Shocked, I tell you; shocked, that the BBC PR division went to the BBC’s house magazine to say the BBC didn’t do nuffink.
‘“We are not going to comment on gossip”… said the spokeswoman’
So an un-named source says she’s saying nothing.
That really put it to rest.
At least the Graun bought it.
I’m glad to see that Batman and Yentobin are back together!