Gareth Roberts Gareth Roberts

What Carol Vorderman gets wrong about the TV industry

Carol Vorderman (Photo: Getty)

Carol Vorderman has given a speech to the Edinburgh Television Festival, in which she complains that the TV industry is too middle class. This is a bit like rocking up at an Elvis convention and saying that Elvis was overrated rubbish. But she still got a standing ovation.

Vorderman has merely reoriented herself to where the money is – performative spluttering about the Tories

‘After 14 years of austerity and lying by the privileged political class,’ she told her adoring throng, ‘this country is in an absolute mess and the TV industry must accept part of the responsibility for that too, including the riots.’ Who knew that the TV industry was responsible for people running amok and setting fire to public property? Though, to be fair, Richard Osman’s House of Games often made me feel like going on a rampage.

Vorderman got a big hand because middle class TV people love nothing better than feeling what they do is important, and being pretend-reprimanded by their own kind.

Comments

Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months

Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.

Already a subscriber? Log in