COMEDIAN and broadcaster Hardeep Singh Kohli claims he has lost work with BBC Scotland because he was on a blacklist of Yes-backing pundits.
Speaking at an event in East Kilbride on Wednesday night, the presenter said a friendly senior figure at the corporation had told him before 2014’s referendum that there was a deliberate plan to keep pro-independence voices off the airwaves.
The BBC has categorically denied Kohli’s accusations.
SNP-supporting Kohli told the audience at the Yes East Kilbride Celebrities for Independence night: “I don’t know if you noticed but I used to be on Question Time, and I used to be on Any Questions on the wireless until my political allegiance became clear.
“And it does strike me as quite curious that Unionists can have a marvellous career in broadcasting, because apparently that’s not biased.
“It’s not biased for them to sit and tell us that we’re too wee and we’re too stupid to govern ourselves.
“But anyone that might think differently ...
“You know, I lost a lot of work, I still don’t get the odd television job."
He then told the crowd about a meeting he had with one of the bosses at Radio Scotland when he found out he was persona non grata in Pacific Quay.
“Now you need to understand most of my work in radio and telly has been live, I do live current affairs stuff,” Kohli said.
“[The Radio Scotland boss] took a call and he said ‘hold on this important’. Louise White had called in sick the next day.
“He said ‘Listen, I’m going to have go, I need to find a replacement.’
“I said ‘You’re taking this piss, aren’t you?’
“‘No, no. I’ve got to find a replacement ... You know I can’t use you? You know about the email?
“‘You know your name appears with all the other names of all the people we can’t have on news output at BBC Scotland?’”
A spokesman for the corporation said: “BBC Scotland does not have any such list. Our news, current affairs and topical programming reflects a broad range of perspectives from across the political spectrum.
“Production teams will continue to invite contributors to share their views on our airwaves in line with our editorial policies on fairness and impartiality.”
The comic, who currently hosts BBC Radio 4’s Sketchtopia and who has just finished his seventh series of Sunday Lunch on the station, also told the crowd at the event it had been difficult for him to continue to work for the BBC as it has “transmuted into a state broadcaster”.
Kohli has a long history with the BBC. In his early 20s, he secured a place on BBC production trainee scheme and worked as a director on children’s TV.
He spent time working for BBC Radio 5 Live, was a regular on Newsnight Review, and in the early 2000s was a constant appearance on panel shows. But his stint as a roving reporter on the One Show was cut short in 2009 after a complaint of inappropriate behaviour from a female researcher.
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