AMOL Rajan has blasted the BBC after discovering a high proportion of its newsreaders speak with a "posh accent".
The Media Show presenter is set to be the new host of University Challenge, taking over for Jeremy Paxman after he announced he was stepping down after 28 years.
Rajan recently commissioned research which showed that 70 per cent of newsreaders across the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Sky speak with received pronunciation.
Speaking during an interview at a Royal Television Society conference, Rajan hit BBC Director General Tim Davie.
Rajan questioned: "We found 70 per cent of newsreaders spoke in the poshest accent after the King’s English. Does that surprise you?"
Davie responded by indicating that the situation will change in the future as the BBC improves the diversity of its workforce, including leading presenters.
READ MORE ON BBC
BBC cuts hundreds of jobs as workers told to ‘relocate’ in massive shake-up
BBC quiz show host joins Celeb SAS: Who Dares Wins after alopecia battle
"There are a couple of things happening," Davie began, before revealing: "I’ve pushed £700million of spending outside the M25. It’s changing the BBC.
"There is a new Radio 1 strand out of Salford. Morning Live is coming out of Salford. It’s going to happen.
"I'm absolutely revving on it. The critical thing is that you don’t get a sniff of that slightly patronising."
Elsewhere, Davie was questioned over the BBC’s decision to cancel The Last Night at the Proms in light of Queen Elizabeth II’s death.
Following the news of the Queen’s death on Thursday, September 8, dozens of events were swiftly cancelled.
Most read in News TV
Loose Woman star in hospital after being 'worried sick' with secret health scare
SAS Who Dares Wins star quits after fellow contestants breaks TWO of their ribs
Maisie Smith topless in bed as she snuggles up to boyfriend Max George
Keith Lemon reveals brutal truth behind Celebrity Juice being axed by ITV
Several people believed The Last Night at the Proms should still have gone ahead in her honour.
Addressing the decision, Davie said: "We had enormous decisions to make.
"Do you put on Strictly? Do you do satire? Where do you stop? We were constantly on the clutch control, as I called it."
We pay for your stories!
Do you have a story for The Sun Showbiz team?
Email [email protected] or call us direct on 0207 782 4220 .
We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.
Source: Read Full Article