The BBC has confirmed the cancellation of three prominent entertainment programmes: Celebrity Mastermind, the Blankety Blank revival, and Live at the Apollo. This decision is part of the broadcaster's strategy to achieve £500m in savings over the next two years.
In a statement, the BBC acknowledged the shows' success, stating, “Unfortunately, we have to make some really tough choices in light of our funding challenges, and these savings have been identified from the entertainment genre.”
Live at the Apollo, which launched in 2004 and helped establish the careers of comedians such as Michael McIntyre, has been a BBC mainstay for 22 years. Celebrity Mastermind has run for 24 series since its 2002 debut, while the latest incarnation of Blankety Blank began in 2021.
One final series of both Celebrity Mastermind and Live at the Apollo is awaiting broadcast. The BBC has previously indicated that its current funding model is unsustainable, with income from the annual £180 licence fee reportedly falling by a quarter over the past decade.