Alan Carr and Joe Lycett are among the stars offering “respect” to Carol Vorderman, who left her BBC radio show after her criticism of the government on social media broke BBC guidelines.
Vorderman said she was not “prepared to lose my voice on social media”, and managers “have decided I must leave”.
Carr, who hosts BBC One’s Picture Slam and Interior Design Masters, wrote on Instagram: “Big respect Carol.”
Lycett joked: “I have informed the BBC I am available to replace you.”
He is known for using comedy to publicly challenge politicians, celebrities and companies like Liz Truss, David Beckham and Hugo Boss.Michelle Visage, who presents a weekly show on BBC Radio 2 and is a judge on BBC Three’s Drag Race UK, wrote to ex-Countdown star Vorderman: “Adore you endlessly,” while presenter Cat Deeley added: “You are brilliant.”
- Russell T Davies,
showrunner of BBC One’s Doctor Who, said: “Onwards to the future! Love you Vorders!” while actress and writer Denise Welch added several flexed bicep emojis.
Olympian Dame Kelly Holmes added: “You do you Carol! Much respect for sticking up for who you are and not allowing corporations to silence you!” Broadcaster and podcast host Elizabeth Day called Vorderman “a legend”.
Ant Middleton, ex-instructor on Channel 4’s SAS: Who Dares Wins, wrote: “When your work wants to control your social life, that’s when it’s time to say bye bye. Good on you Carol.”
Vorderman presented a weekly show on BBC Radio Wales for five years, but said she had fallen foul of the corporation’s new social media guidelines.
Her recent posts on X have said the current Conservative Party “needs to be utterly dismantled at the next election” and that she wants to stop the “vile government clinging onto power for a day longer”.
After her announcement on Wednesday, she thanked her 896,000 followers “for your overwhelming support”.
“Just bowled over by it,” she wrote. “You’re so wonderful, genuinely thank you. I’ll now increase calling out this disgusting Tory govt with facts & data which the right wing media fails to publish.”