LONDON: BBC coverage following the death of Queen Elizabeth II’s husband Prince Philip led to nearly 110,000 complaints about canceled programs and cleared schedules, the corporation said on Thursday.
The Duke of Edinburgh’s death at the age of 99 last Friday prompted the publicly-funded broadcaster to scrap its entire schedule on its main BBC One and BBC Two television channels to simultaneously broadcast the same coverage of his life.
Popular soap opera “EastEnders” and the cooking competition “Masterchef” were canceled and the BBC Four channel was taken completely off air.
BBC radio stations also changed their programming following the prince’s death, either broadcasting news programs or abruptly switching to play the national anthem when the news was announced.
According to the BBC’s fortnightly complaints bulletin, 109,741 complaints over the coverage of Philip’s death were made by Thursday.
Of those, 104,010 were made in the first three days after the death of the Duke of Edinburgh.
Many of the complaints were made via an online form on the BBC website.
In response, the BBC said in a statement it “acknowledged some viewers were unhappy” over the impact to planned 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,” it added.
The amount of criticism over the coverage is believed to be the largest ever received by the BBC.
But a spokesman told AFP: “We are proud of our coverage and the role we play during moments of national significance.”
The broadcaster reported it had received 63,000 complaints in 2005 when it broadcast the controversial musical “Jerry Springer: The Opera” about the 1990s US talk-show host.
The BBC has received criticism for its inclusion of Prince Andrew in its coverage because of the Queen and Philip’s second son’s association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as well as the tone of its programming.
Other British networks also changed their schedules following Philip’s death.
Commercial Channel 4 came under fire for largely keeping to its schedule, with the exception of airing some documentaries about the duke’s life.
Viewing figures across the channels fell because of the wall-to-wall coverage.
“Gogglebox,” a television program about people watching television programs, was the most-watched show of the day last Friday.
BBC receives nearly 110,000 complaints about Prince Philip coverage
https://arab.news/w3guk
BBC receives nearly 110,000 complaints about Prince Philip coverage
- According to BBC's fortnightly complaints bulletin, 109,741 complaints over the coverage of Philip's death were made by Thursday
- BBC said it "acknowledged some viewers were unhappy" over the impact to planned schedules
Bondi Beach attack hero says wanted to protect ‘innocent people’
DUBAI: Bondi Beach shooting hero Ahmed Al Ahmed recalled the moment he ran toward one of the attackers and wrenched his shotgun away, saying the only thing he had in mind was to stop the assailant from “killing more innocent people.”
Al-Ahmad’s heroism was widely acclaimed in Australia when he tackled and disarmed gunman Sajid Akram who fired at Jewish people attending a Hanukkah event on December 14, killing 15 people and wounding dozens.
“My target was just to take the gun from him, and to stop him from killing a human being’s life and not killing innocent people,” he told CBS News in an interview on Monday.
“I know I saved lots, but I feel sorry for the lost.”
In footage viewed by millions of people, Al Ahmed was seen ducking between parked cars as the shooting unfolded, then wresting a gun from one of the assailants.
He was shot several times in the shoulder as a result and underwent several rounds of surgery.
“I jumped in his back, hit him and … hold him with my right hand and start to say a word like, you know, to warn him, ‘Drop your gun, stop doing what you’re doing’,” Al Ahmed said.
“I don’t want to see people killed in front of me, I don’t want to see blood, I don’t want to hear his gun, I don’t want to see people screaming and begging, asking for help,” Al Ahmed told the television network.
“That’s my soul asked me to do that, and everything in my heart, and my brain, everything just worked, you know, to manage and to save the people’s life,” he said.
EXCLUSIVE: Ahmed al Ahmed, the man hailed as a hero for tackling one of the gunmen behind an antisemitic attack on Australia's Bondi Beach earlier this month, is speaking out in the aftermath of the massacre.
— CBS News (@CBSNews) December 28, 2025
"I know I saved lots, but I feel sorry still for the lost." pic.twitter.com/gFUfJvv7c6
Al Ahmed was at the beach getting a cup of coffee when the shooting occurred.
He is a father of two who emigrated to Australia from Syria in 2007, and works as a fruit seller.
Local media reported that the Australian government has fast-tracked and granted a number of visas for Al Ahmed’s family following his act of bravery.
“Ahmed has shown the courage and values we want in Australia,” Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said in a statement.
One of the gunmen, Sajid Akram, 50, was shot and killed by police during the attack. An Indian national, he entered Australia on a visa in 1998.
His 24-year-old son Naveed, an Australian-born citizen, remains in custody on charges including terrorism and 15 murders, as well as committing a “terrorist act” and planting a bomb with intent to harm.
(with AFP)
