Carol Vorderman has decided to leave her BBC radio show due to new social media guidelines. The former Countdown star, who's been hosting a Saturday morning show on BBC Radio Wales for five years, said she's "not prepared to lose my voice" after the corporation introduced new rules.
Carol has been quite outspoken about the Government on social media and has had several online spats with Tory MPs. In a statement, she said: "The BBC recently introduced new social media guidelines, which I respect.
"However, despite my show being light-hearted with no political content, it was explained to me that, as it's 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 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."
She added: "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 new social media rules mean that presenters on big shows like Match Of The Day (MOTD) and The Apprentice can't make attacks on political parties.
The BBC said these rules don't include contributors, pundits, judges or guest hosts but they have added extra guidance for freelancers and those not working in news, current affairs or factual journalism production.
In September, the broadcaster said that these type of employees "must not bring the BBC into disrepute", need to be respectful in public and be careful when joining in with public debate.
These new rules came after a row over MOTD presenter Gary Lineker comparing the language used by the Conservative Government to promote its asylum plans to 1930s Germany on X which led to him briefly not presenting the show, a boycott from sports staff and a social media review.
Vorderman has posted a number of critical remarks about Johnny Mercer's performance as veterans' affairs minister.
The pair have had several public arguments and he has referred to her on X as a "deeply unpleasant person".
In March, Vorderman urged women's minister Maria Caulfield to step down after she didn't show up for a committee hearing about the menopause. In September, it's rumoured that she removed several posts about Conservative chairman Greg Hands.
Mr Hands had asked her to say sorry for what he called "defamatory and damaging" tweets about his role in a lifestyle company being given a £25.8 million personal protective equipment contract in 2020.
Posting on X, Vorderman said she was "happy to accept Mr Hands' assurance that his role in the process was simply to refer the approach… (and) there was no impropriety on his part". But over ten years ago, when Michael Gove was education secretary, Vorderman was named as the leader of a maths taskforce.
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