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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

To be hurt and annoyed at being dropped by the BBC?

641 replies

Ladyof2025 · 12/02/2025 18:14

BBC contacted me asking me to speak on camera about an aspect of local history I happen to know a bit about. I agreed and spent the next few days brushing up on the facts and then writing and rewriting a script and reading it out loud again and again until I knew it by heart and could speak confidently to camera as though I'd never said it before.

I do not have a pretty face, and am in my 60s and rather podgy, but I went to the trouble of going through my wardrobe for the perfect outfit that flattered my podginess, and had my hair cut specially and put on some make up, so I could be the best possible version of me that I could.

The production team visited, took me to the site and filmed me speaking. I did it smoothly and confidently and was glad that I had put in all the rehearsal so I came across as knowledgeable, professional and confident of my material. They said my performance was perfect, thanked me profusely and left.

After about a week they rang me to say that due to time and space issues the section of the programme that featured my input had been dropped. I felt absolutely gutted, not because I want to see myself on TV but because I had used up a lot of my valuable free time for several days preparing and rehearsing for it (for no fee I should add).

A few months later the programme I was dropped from came on TV and to my utter astonishment an attractive, slim young lady appeared, at the same site I was filmed at, and she spoke the exact words I had written and rehearsed! I nearly fell off my chair - the absolute bloody cheek of dropping ME but stealing the script that I had written. Thinking about it, I realised that they wanted my expert input, but not my saggy face or ample figure.

AIBU to be hurt and angry?

OP posts:
Ladyof2025 · 14/02/2025 13:51

TaggieO · 14/02/2025 03:10

If they didn’t use your actual words then with respect you are being a bit over sensitive. They will have sent several local experts the exact same questions so it’s not surprising in that case that her answers were the same content. If the names out there were available to be found then others may well have found them too if they are also interested in the same topic, and facts are not proprietary - you don’t own historical information. As to the names being in the same order - there will be a right way that a list of names sound. Often with historical names this is unconsciously chronological. You wouldn’t order “chips and fish” or “cake and tea”. Equally if you were going to say a house had been stayed in by Elizabeth I and Marilyn Monroe, you’d likely put them in that order as Elizabeth would have been there first?

Edited

Why don't you understand what I have written? Do I have to actually out myself to make you understand?

Nobody else has done the research I have done.

Nobody else knows the historic names I uncovered.

It is not on the net.

Locally, nobody but me is interested enough to have researched the house beyond what they have read on Wikipedia and which they repeat over and over again ad nauseum, never adding any more information.

This national crew came down from London to film the house and I was thrilled to be able to impart the results of my brand new, never-published research, which included names nobody else but me knows are associated with the house. The director told me at the time they did not know ANY of the names or extra, new info that I was about to talk about to the camera.

Is that now clear?

OP posts:
Ladyof2025 · 14/02/2025 13:53

thinkfast · 14/02/2025 09:26

I expect this was because of your delivery OP. They normally want people to talk naturally for this kind of thing, not recite a pre-written script.

I think some people just don't come over well on TV, sorry. For example, my son was asked to film something for BBC breakfast where he had to walk into a room and sit down and he forgot how to walk. It was very funny! Instead of swinging his arms naturally, he clamped his hands to his legs so his legs and shoulders moved together at the same time. The producer said stuff like that happens all the time and had to show him how to walk.

In your case, it sounds more like they used some of the information you provided, but did they steal the actual script you had written? Are the words used exactly the same?

It's comforting to know that it's my personality that they rejected me for, and not my flab!

OP posts:
Ladyof2025 · 14/02/2025 14:12

Some comments make me want never to post anything personal or about being upset like this on here ever again. Firstly I can't believe that anyone can accuse me of making it up. For what purpose? And then so many people saying I am at fault for not insisting on a contract, for not charging them, for being "wooden" or "vain" and wanting to "feed my ego", for choosing an outfit, getting prepared and even for cutting my hair.... and so on and so on. Bloody hell!

OP posts:
AlienLanding · 14/02/2025 14:16

But that's show business! It's like no business I know.

I'm an ex professional presenter. I once filmed for three weeks around Europe with a crew and none of it ended up in the edit. And even as talent, I didn't really get an explanation.

I have got my memories of the places, the crew, the satisfaction of pulling good stories together. No regrets. Obviously I have beef with the Execs at the top of the food chain when everyone further down busts a gut but hey ho.

I'd reread what a lot of Producers and Production staff have said here about how the industry actually works as a whole. It really is like no other business.

Ignore the goady, sue the BBC, plagiarism stuff. I suspect almost no one from the Production still has access to their email address from that Production Company for that project. It all moves on frighteningly quickly and feels quite hurtful.when you don't know how it works. It isn't personal.

The information was broadcast and honestly doesn't even form a record as.useful as chip wrappers.
Write up your findings, publish somewhere, historical.societies, AIA, a National Trust magazine as many places as you can now you have finessed your 'script'. Anyone watching, if they Google, needs.to find your story, your finding s, else your research will eventually just die with you.

And well done on pulling all the names together, so exciting to have on your doorstep.

superamazingtoday · 14/02/2025 14:20

Ladyof2025 · 14/02/2025 14:12

Some comments make me want never to post anything personal or about being upset like this on here ever again. Firstly I can't believe that anyone can accuse me of making it up. For what purpose? And then so many people saying I am at fault for not insisting on a contract, for not charging them, for being "wooden" or "vain" and wanting to "feed my ego", for choosing an outfit, getting prepared and even for cutting my hair.... and so on and so on. Bloody hell!

Stop rising to it op

Trallers · 14/02/2025 14:21

AlienLanding · 14/02/2025 14:16

But that's show business! It's like no business I know.

I'm an ex professional presenter. I once filmed for three weeks around Europe with a crew and none of it ended up in the edit. And even as talent, I didn't really get an explanation.

I have got my memories of the places, the crew, the satisfaction of pulling good stories together. No regrets. Obviously I have beef with the Execs at the top of the food chain when everyone further down busts a gut but hey ho.

I'd reread what a lot of Producers and Production staff have said here about how the industry actually works as a whole. It really is like no other business.

Ignore the goady, sue the BBC, plagiarism stuff. I suspect almost no one from the Production still has access to their email address from that Production Company for that project. It all moves on frighteningly quickly and feels quite hurtful.when you don't know how it works. It isn't personal.

The information was broadcast and honestly doesn't even form a record as.useful as chip wrappers.
Write up your findings, publish somewhere, historical.societies, AIA, a National Trust magazine as many places as you can now you have finessed your 'script'. Anyone watching, if they Google, needs.to find your story, your finding s, else your research will eventually just die with you.

And well done on pulling all the names together, so exciting to have on your doorstep.

What a lovely message. I think this sounds like the best advice @Ladyof2025.

Ignore all the comments that make you feel crappy. It's not personal, even when it stings.

WeCanOnlyDoOurBest · 14/02/2025 14:37

NetZeroZealot · 13/02/2025 22:33

If you would bother to read the whole thread you would see that the BBC did not ‘steal her script’

Sorry, I thought I had, must’ve missed something 😖

leftorrightnow · 14/02/2025 14:51

@Ladyof2025 apologies for not believing you at first. There’s just so much trolling out there and your first post seems a bit ott. It does indeed sound like what you said happened — and I think that one thing tv-crews should get better at it being a bit more open and transparent w civilians they work with about they fact that shots may not end up being used in the end. Could be just a one pager explaining things or something. DH works In the film business and the amount of people who do work for free which ends up not being used at all is insane. Entire movies with astronomical budgets get made and then not released in the end! It’s a brutal business.

but the long and short of it is I understand you feel upset but pls don’t take it personal. There could be so many reasons they didn’t end up using the clip and replacing it with another one.

At best, being filmed for something is like participating in the lottery, unless you’re famous and someone they’ll for sure what to use, and even then, famous people’s performances get edited out or scrapped too.

TotallyAddictedToCoffee · 14/02/2025 15:11

@Ladyof2025 I think you should email the producer and ask what it was about your interview that made them use someone else who delivered your answers.

You're well within your right to ask that, you did put in a lot of effort in your research and preparation, the least they can do is give you an explanation!!

AlienLanding · 14/02/2025 15:15

The Production Companies are often very careless with their Employers, the channels name. It's really not fair on the BBC, C4 or the streamers when companies that they have commissioned foist the damage on something they are quite removed from.

One Production Company released a press release to niche groups with: (names changed)
Wanted for BBC show: Are you the new Christopher Columbus, Scott or Alien Landing. Along with a picture of me in action.
I called the Production company saying I'm the old (40 something) Alien Landing. They couldn't put the phone down quick enough. I escalated it to the BBC, got a weird, mealy mouth apology about procedure. It was broadcast with a younger, less knowledgeable but ripped male presenter.
That stung but if they want a look, they want a look.

WeCanOnlyDoOurBest · 14/02/2025 15:45

beenonthebox · 13/02/2025 23:20

TLDR: OP had never done anything like this before, and in my opinion she sadly set herself up for a great fall, although on the up-side if she's as passionate about her subject as she says, then she should take comfort in knowing her words were of great use in helping to promote said subject. Also, I don't think those one here who have disagreed with her have been particularly harsh.

NC for this, and my goodness there's a lot to unpack (most of which I won't). It's interesting though, that those who are replying to explain to OP about how all this works and offering reasons as to why whatever happened did so as it did are being told (collectively, that is) that OP is being given a hard time. I don't agree - it may not be what she wants to hear, but it is all consistent with my experiences with the television and other media work I've done.

I have to suggest that if the OP wasn't doing this for her own benefit of having a few seconds of fame on TV (and there is absolutely nothing at all wrong with that), then it must have been for the greater good of raising the profile of the subject that she is clearly quite passionate about...in which case the "job's a good 'un" in as much as the information she wished to put out there was still used, albeit not delivered by her. At least the whole thing didn't end up on the cutting room floor, so to speak.

I don't have a lot of talent, and I don't have a lot of knowledge either, but I am exceptionally knowledgeable and time-served in one particular subject, and I have been told repeatedly I am a "natural" when speaking on that subject. As a result of this, I've had several television appearances, one of which I was a main contributor to the program, and numerous interviews for radio and written media.

I knew well in advance of appearing on TV that the opportunity was likely to arise at some point in the future, based on the work I was doing, and that it would be a matter of time & opportunity. Ahead of that, I did a lot of research into what makes someone a good guest speaker on TV & radio, and it was suggested that becoming a regular caller on a local radio was always a good start, so I pursued this with my county's BBC radio station - it didn't take long for them to start calling me up out of the blue, asking my thoughts on all sorts of subjects and asking if I'd be willing to go on air "for a chat".

From there I got the chance to appear in a TV documentary. There was no payment for this, so like with the OP, one does it to meet one's own agenda. I wanted the chance to find out how it all worked, what was expected, and what the rules were. I did not contribute to the documentary per-se, rather my contribution was for an interlude to break up the weight of a 50-minute long 4-part documentary, with footage of me driving my car (filmed from inside and out) whilst commenting on the condition of a stretch of motorway was used (along with a great many other people's contributions) between the main features of the documentary.

As others have said, there are rules to be followed, papers to be signed, and objectives to be met. There was no misunderstanding on my part that all of what I contributed to may never be used, and that it could easily be chopped & edited out of context, and so on. The only thing I hadn't bargained on was how long, tedious, and at times boring the whole process could be.

I later got the chance to appear on a local ITV news feature, as the organisation I was heading up at that time had sponsored a charity, and we were asked to contribute. Again, there was no payment, but it was a brilliant opportunity to get the name of the organisation out there for free. This was exactly the same with the printed media too - there was a lot of that at one point. Sometimes I'd be interviewed over the phone and my words used in an article written by the journalist, other times I would be asked to write my answers and send them in for consideration...and it turned out I was a natural at that too, as very often what was used (this always being a minuscule amount when compared to the quantity I had been asked to provide) would be used word for word as I'd written it.

And then later still came the paid TV work...for that I very much did it for the money and nothing else. Hours and hours of answering the same question and doing the same action over and over again so that it can be filmed from various angles does get boring after a while...one appearance saw me away from home for over twelve hours door-to-door; fortunately the fee I negotiated was more than enough to cover all of my time and expenses, but it was a very long day and all to produce a clip that lasted less than five minutes.

In the program where I was a main contributor, I had to devote two days of my life to travelling and filming, and devising a range of activities for the participants of the show to undertake...again, I was paid enough to make it worth it, but we're only talking a few hundred pounds for a hell of a lot of work. Again, it was repetitive and boring at times (so much time is spent just standing about waiting for producers and camera operators to be ready to film), and of the many hours of filming, only about 15 minutes of it was used in the program, but that's just how it is - TV companies seem to want huge quantities of "stuff" so that they've plenty to work with for when the format of the show is eventually decided and footage edited accordingly.

I could get upset about the money I'd spent on resources to make the various demonstrations and activities happen, only to discover that much of it was never broadcast, but what would be the point? I'd included the costs in my negotiations over the fee, so like in any job, you're paid to do it and so long as you do it properly then it's of no concern to us what happens with it next. But without knowing what the OP's motivation was for taking part in this TV article she speaks of, it's very hard to say whether or not she's been treated badly.

98% all about you, 2% about OP… how did this help? Your point is?

Ladyof2025 · 14/02/2025 16:25

Thanks for the last few messages, all positive.

I have learned from this thread, to get a contract, to ask for money, etc. Thanks.

OP posts:
PinkArt · 14/02/2025 17:54

The contract will have been a release form @Ladyof2025 , which they should definitely have asked you to sign. Did that not happen?

Ladyof2025 · 14/02/2025 18:26

PinkArt · 14/02/2025 17:54

The contract will have been a release form @Ladyof2025 , which they should definitely have asked you to sign. Did that not happen?

I signed something they said to give them permission to broadcast what I said.

OP posts:
PinkArt · 14/02/2025 18:43

Ladyof2025 · 14/02/2025 18:26

I signed something they said to give them permission to broadcast what I said.

That'll be the release form, which is the contract.
If you don't have a copy it might be worth starting contact by asking for them to send you one, as the wording will be important if you want to discuss further with them. As others said upthread, it likely includes standard wording that gives them the right to 'exploit your contribution' however they chose to (assuming it doesn't break the law or the OFCOM code). My guess is that contractually they have done nothing wrong here, even if they have handled this badly on a human level.
Earlier in the thread I said that I've never heard of something like this happening in the 20 years I've worked in factual telly, so charitably I wonder if good manners went out of the window when they were scrambling to reshoot.That shouldn't happen, of course, but things do slip when things go wrong.

beenonthebox · 14/02/2025 19:12

WeCanOnlyDoOurBest · 14/02/2025 15:45

98% all about you, 2% about OP… how did this help? Your point is?

Well done on taking the time out to do the maths.

My point is, to the OP specifically, to pool life experience of a shared situation, and show what it can really be like, and offer some explanation as to why what happened to her did not align with her vision.

It also helps people like you to fill their time by reading 100% of my comment.

HTH.

beenonthebox · 14/02/2025 19:16

Ladyof2025 · 14/02/2025 14:12

Some comments make me want never to post anything personal or about being upset like this on here ever again. Firstly I can't believe that anyone can accuse me of making it up. For what purpose? And then so many people saying I am at fault for not insisting on a contract, for not charging them, for being "wooden" or "vain" and wanting to "feed my ego", for choosing an outfit, getting prepared and even for cutting my hair.... and so on and so on. Bloody hell!

Fair enough, but you've still not told us why you wanted to be involved in the filming in the first place...I've brought it up at least twice, and said on both occasions that if nothing else your information was put out there for the greater good of your cause. Thus in my view, all was not lost and you could choose to take some comfort from knowing how good your content was.

Unless it wasn't about raising the profile of your cause, in which case I can't really say much more without knowing what that is.

LlamaDharma · 14/02/2025 19:17

Ladyof2025 · 14/02/2025 14:12

Some comments make me want never to post anything personal or about being upset like this on here ever again. Firstly I can't believe that anyone can accuse me of making it up. For what purpose? And then so many people saying I am at fault for not insisting on a contract, for not charging them, for being "wooden" or "vain" and wanting to "feed my ego", for choosing an outfit, getting prepared and even for cutting my hair.... and so on and so on. Bloody hell!

Welcome to Mumsnet unfortunately.

Ethylred · 14/02/2025 19:18

It's the telly. Lie down with dogs, get up with fleas.

beenonthebox · 14/02/2025 19:19

LlamaDharma · 14/02/2025 19:17

Welcome to Mumsnet unfortunately.

In fairness, I have seen far, far worse than what's on this thread...the "horrible" comments have, generally speaking, been telling it how it is, and it's that which hasn't gone down well.

TaggieO · 14/02/2025 19:23

Ladyof2025 · 14/02/2025 13:51

Why don't you understand what I have written? Do I have to actually out myself to make you understand?

Nobody else has done the research I have done.

Nobody else knows the historic names I uncovered.

It is not on the net.

Locally, nobody but me is interested enough to have researched the house beyond what they have read on Wikipedia and which they repeat over and over again ad nauseum, never adding any more information.

This national crew came down from London to film the house and I was thrilled to be able to impart the results of my brand new, never-published research, which included names nobody else but me knows are associated with the house. The director told me at the time they did not know ANY of the names or extra, new info that I was about to talk about to the camera.

Is that now clear?

How can you possibly know what research every single other person has done on a topic?! That’s so bloody arrogant. If you found it, someone else with an interest in the topic can too. I’m pretty sure you aren’t the only person who knows how to look at books and papers, just because something isn’t on the internet!

SnoozingFox · 14/02/2025 19:24

And the release you signed will have a clause about "using your contribution in any way the producers see fit" and that's exactly what they did.

Ladyof2025 · 14/02/2025 20:09

TaggieO · 14/02/2025 19:23

How can you possibly know what research every single other person has done on a topic?! That’s so bloody arrogant. If you found it, someone else with an interest in the topic can too. I’m pretty sure you aren’t the only person who knows how to look at books and papers, just because something isn’t on the internet!

I know - 100%

OP posts:
Convolvulus · 14/02/2025 21:22

Simplynotsimple · 12/02/2025 18:22

That is surprising, if I’m honest. The bbc have always seem to use those who know their stuff rather than make a ‘pretty young thing’ read a script. Have you followed up on this?

I agree. As I mentioned, I've occasionally done an interview to give background information about the field I work in, or to spout an opinion, and I'm no beauty. And look at people like Mary Beard, for instance - fantastic woman, would never claim to be an oil-painting.

Convolvulus · 14/02/2025 21:28

Ladyof2025 · 13/02/2025 09:19

Thanks, that makes me feel so much more confident about myself! Not. So, I am stilted and wooden, so should leave TV appearances to the smooth, confident professionals. I'll remember that in the future and turn down any future opportunity to share my passion with the world because, clearly, I am just not good enough!

Please don't take this personally. It's simply a fact that people who speak spontaneously about a topic they know about come over much better than people reading a speech or reciting something they have learnt. Barristers, for instance, don't script their closing speeches, because they're aware that extemporising will hold the jury's or the judge's attention much better. I've been to lectures where all people did was read a paper, and interesting through the topics should have been to me, I've literally struggled to stay awake.

It's not your fault that you didn't know that. If the opportunity arises again, have faith in your own knowledge and don't write a script. At most, write yourself a few bullet points and keep those with you as an aide memoire. I'm sure you'd be great.