The BBC has reportedly received hundreds of complaints for its wall-to-wall coverage of the Queen's death, compared to the over 100,000 it received following the death of her husband, Prince Philip. Blanket coverage accompanied the announcement of the Queen's illness and subsequent death on Thursday Seprtember 8.
Television scheduled, including the BBC's, were scrapped after Buckingham Palace made a rare public statement regarding “concerns” for the Queen’s health. Within half an hour of the statement being release the BBC had diverted its flagship network, BBC One, to a rolling news feed.
When the Queen’s death was announced later that evening, the corporation interrupted all programming across television and radio to bring audiences the news. Some channels such as BBC Three and Four were paused entirely directing people towards BBC one.
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According to The Guardian, internal data shows the public service broadcaster received about 670 objections from people who felt last Thursday’s coverage of the Queen’s death was excessive, compared with the 100,000 who objected to its output to mark her husband dying in 2021. A formal total is expected to be published later this week.
When the Queen’s husband Prince Philip died last April, the network received over 109,000 complaints within a week of his death complaining about the blanket coverage. Such was the volume of complaints the corporation even set up a dedicated complaints page for viewers to vent.
“The passing of HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh was a significant event which generated a lot of interest both nationally and internationally,” the BBC said at the time.
“We acknowledge some viewers were unhappy with the level of coverage given, and impact this had on the billed TV and Radio schedules. We do not make such changes without careful consideration and the decisions made reflect the role the BBC plays as the national broadcaster, during moments of national significance. We are grateful for all feedback, and we always listen to the response from our audiences.” The disruption to the BBC’s schedules will remain at least until Monday, when the Queen’s official state funeral will take place.
The nature of the complaints around the Queen's death reportedly included the fact audiences could see journalists in the newsroom could be seen standing behind Huw Edwards as the presenter announced the death. Others reportedly centered on the fact that Huw Edwards was wearing a black tie for several hours before the monarch’s death was officially announced.
While much of the BBC's coverage still remains heavily focused on the royal news coverage, some of its usual programming is returning. For example, EastEnders has been allowed back on to the channel in a later time slot. The Strictly Come Dancing launch date has been postponed by a week following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
The new series was due to launch on Saturday, September 17 but will air at a later date, the BBC has confirmed. Strictly Come Dancing will now launch on Friday, September 23, followed by the first live show on Saturday, September 24.
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