I think the BBC are stupid to sack him after all he never did any "prim and proper" type shows. I can understand why they sacked Richard Bacon from Blue Peter for example.

But Have I Got News for You was generally below the belt stuff anyway.

I was watching some report on this earlier where they had 2 women discussing the pros and cons of AD's sacking and the one for it said something stupid like "people in the public eye should be responsible for what they do as the public maybe influenced to try things"

Like *DUHHHH* we have minds

And surely isn't that like some kinda of censorship taking our rights away of what type of people we view. OK at the end of the day if John Leslie is proven to be a rapist he isn't the type of person I want to see on my screen. But all AD did was dabble a little in stuff that I suspect most politicians have certainly done

Personally I think the way people reacted to it was maybe a TINY bit over the top. He slept around So... he had cocain, a matter for the law, not the BBC.

Worst of all, the BBC firing him! Backstabbing bast**ds! They new revelations about Deyton would boost ratings and it did. The moment it becomes TOO messy, they cut the cord.

He's a stupid man, but I think lay off. So what if he ripped it out of guests, so do many celebrities. If Anne Robinson got cancer, I wouldn't think, well, bit*h had it coming.

Ok i don't particularly like the guy, but I don't think he had to be sacked, i mean loads of peopel do stuff like that and it seems jsut cuz hes a celeb hes getting sacked.

I think this is really bad and very stupid of the BBC. As has been said, it's not as if he's doing kiddies TV. Half the guests they've had on have done the same thing. Allegedly! Surely putting up with Paul Merton's digs is the best punishment.

Without him the show is just gonna be really weird. It's actually been a long time since I last saw it as I'm never in when it's on, but I can imagine it going quickly downhill from now on...

I couldn't watch the show without him in it, it's not right.
I love him, and think whatever he gets upto in his personal life has got diddely squat to do with anyone else, and to sack him the basis of what he's been doing is stupid.

Perhaps I should put my opinion in since I started the thread.

Personally, I used to love the show but haven't watched it for a while for one reason or another. I thought Deayton's put downs were the best part of it and the show won't be the same without him. But, it's still funny to see how he's getting it back ten fold.

And,no, I don't think the BBC should have sacked him.

However, Kieron, I think you're being naive if you think that an employee's conduct is purely a matter for the law. People are sacked all the time for conduct outside the work place which brings disrepute to their employer later.

That said, the BBC is not your typical employer and the BBC have probably managed to kill off one of their big ratings winners.


(Edited by Whistler 30/10/2002 08:50)

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by Pegasus
I think the BBC are stupid to sack him after all he never did any "prim and proper" type shows.

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No he didn't do kids TV, but the way Deayton's presense on Have I got News For You works is that he sneers and acts 'high and mighty' than the Political peeps he is taking the mick out of. He can hardly convincingly be satirical about 'Tory Sleeze' now - as Christine Hamilton showed two weeks ago when he referred to Neil Hamilton as a "Disgraced Tory MP" Christine responded with "Don't call my husband disgraced, if he's disgraced then what are you?" - And that's only what they aired.

Anyone who watched last weeks show will know that it wasn't true to the usual format. The mail political/topical issues were largely ignored and all four panalists ripped in to Deayton for the whole show. IMO Merton and Hislop were fed up with Deayton and his attitude and took the oppertunity to rip into him as much as possible once the guests took the lead (something they have refrained from in the past - almost an unspoken agreement)

I don't think it would be possible for Have I Got News For You to carry on as it was under these circumstances as one of its strengths has always been the ability to make one or both of its guests squirm with them having zero comeback. If the BBC choose an appropriate replacement - maybe John Bergent or Jeremy Paxman or Stephen Fry - all could carry on Deayton's mantle. Where the show would have suffered would have been if Hislop and Merton had decided that they no longer wanted to work with Deyton and had left. Spontanious comedy comment is much harder to do effectively than reading from an autocue.

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by Sydney
(quotes)as Christine Hamilton showed two weeks ago when he referred to Neil Hamilton as a "Disgraced Tory MP" Christine responded with "Don't call my husband disgraced, if he's disgraced then what are you?"

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But you've got to admit that was pure class

Thought it was stupid. Angus Deayton's job was to take the mick out of other people basically, and he did a bloody good job. Come on its not exactly News Night. Its Have they got new for you! Its known for being hilarious and personally I don't care about Deayton's sex life

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by lizzieslayer
Thought it was stupid. Angus Deayton's job was to take the mick out of other people basically, and he did a bloody good job. Come on its not exactly News Night. Its Have they got new for you!

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No its not News Night, but then again it isn't on the level of Never Mind The Buzzcocks either. Have I Got News For You is an intelligent show and doesn't work when it degenerates into mud slinging. Deayton taking the mick out of people is fine - but it gets embarressing when they can easily take the mick back because he cannot handle it, He really didn't have a clue how to react properly on last weeks show. If Deayton stayed on then the show really would suffer.

And the BBC is funded by the licence fee - I object to my money going to pay for an arrogant idiot to indulge his illegal activities (couldn't give a toss about the prostitutes) when it could be spent to better effect elsewhere. The guy got £50,000 a show for goodness sake - he's hardly going to be left desitute by his job loss. And if the money does dry up... well he can always write a book.

(Edited by Sydney 30/10/2002 11:58)

Have the BBC actually severed all links with him, or have they just dumped him from that particular show?

The thing is, if you work in news in any capacity whatsoever your ability to do your job is destroyed if you become news yourself. That's equally true whether you're a journalist, a press officer (like Stephen Byers's PRO Jo Moore) or someone who commentates on the news like Deayton in Have I Got News For You.

So, yes, it was right to sack him from the show. But don't be surprised when you see him bob to the surface somewhere else on the Beeb.

The real wit only ever came from the captains, as most of Deayton's stuff was written for him, and he just parroted it out reading from the autocue. The fact that he had no comeback, and just ended up squirming proves that.

Deayton delivered his lines well, but he's very replaceable at the end of the day, whereas you couldn't replace Merton or Hislop without the show falling apart.

I agree with Syd. People in glass houses, shouldn't throw stones.

It's a shame though, because before all this AD scandle it was a great show, one of the few bitts of, well i dont want to say quality. 1 of the few bits is watchable TV we have.

i heard on the radio today that Paul Merton is taking over AD's job. i dont think i'll be watching again.

(Edited by Cat 30/10/2002 13:14)

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by Cat
i heard on the radio today that Paul Merton is taking over AD's job. i dont think i'll be watching again.

(Edited by Cat 30/10/2002 13:14)

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Merton is only taking over the host position until they get a perminant replacement - something they are keen to sort out quite quicky. So I think for a couple of episodes it might work well with Merton being able to boss Hislop around

Wonder if they'll bring back the tub of lard to take Merton's place

i heard christine hamilton would like to actually take over from deayton...oh lordy!

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by Spitefulangel
i heard christine hamilton would like to actually take over from deayton...oh lordy!

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Actually, that might actually work! She's got a sharp mind and a quick wit.

I think lay off him, as Keirenfrost said earlier, the mighty Beeb had their ratings winner out of him and then got rid, So he slept around and did a bit of cocaine, So What bigger people have done far worse, he does his job and thats where it should end!!

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by Spitefulangel
i heard christine hamilton would like to actually take over from deayton...oh lordy!

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I think the term "would like too" sums it up god she was terrible the other week.

Of the serious names being banded about John Seargent seems like he would be a good one.

Apparently the studio audience were quite impressed with Paul Merton as host:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/2384165.stm

Not so sure about Anne Robinson next week though...