BBC cancels high-profile entertainment shows to save money

The corporation said the 'difficult decisions' formed part of its previously announced proposals to make £500m of savings over the next three years.

It explained that its content division has targeted a minimum of £100m in recurring annual savings. This will result in a reduction of around 100-150 hours of originated TV programmes across genres by the end of 2027/28.

The BBC said that further savings across its content division will be announced in the coming months.

Mastermind, presented by Clive Myrie, will continue and both Celebrity Mastermind and Live at the Apollo have one more series to broadcast.

Viewing figures for all three shows have reportedly fallen over recent years. Celebrity Mastermind has dropped from an average of 4m viewers in 2017 to 1.7m for its most recent series.

Blankety Blank, meanwhile, has gone down from 5.5m viewers in 2021 to 2.3m for the most recent series.

Live at the Apollo has dropped from around 1.3m viewers in 2018 to around 660,000 on its most recent series. These figures include catch-up platforms, such as iPlayer.

In a statement, the BBC said: "We will continue to commission ambitious entertainment shows and invest in distinctive UK content from a wide range of independent production companies of all sizes, as well as prioritising digital innovation that can serve fans of these shows and beyond. For example, we will shortly be announcing digital plans focused on stand-up and emerging comedy talent, ensuring we continue to support the stand-up community in a rapidly changing and increasingly competitive media landscape."

The BBC recently confirmed that it will cut around 550 roles across the news, nations, and content divisions by the start of 2027/28 to save £160m from its operations. Discover more here.