The video will auto-play soon 8 Cancel Get all the latest politics news via email updates Invalid Email Something went wrong, please try again later. Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice The latest episode of Have I Got News For You was pulled by the BBC shortly before it was due to air because the show had booked Change UK leader Heidi Allen. In a tweet, the show apologised to viewers and said that the programme would not air at 9pm on Friday. A BBC statement said: "The BBC has specific editorial guidelines that apply during election periods. "Because of this it would be inappropriate to feature political party leaders on entertainment programmes during this short election period, which does not allow for equal representation to be achieved. "So we will not broadcast the scheduled episode of HIGNFY featuring Heidi Allen, leader of Change UK. "We will look to broadcast this episode at a later date." Heidi Allen MP resigned from the Conservative Party to join the newly formed Independent Group in February 2019. She was made the interim leader of the group. After joining in February, she was made leader of the group which is now known as Change UK. She was given the position in March. Video Loading Video Unavailable Click to play Tap to play The video will auto-play soon 8 Cancel Play now Half an hour earlier, the official account of the BBC series confirmed the episode would not air. They went on to state the channel had pulled the episode before it went to air, while suggesting the axe was due to the looming Euro elections. The tweet read: “Sorry everyone. The BBC have pulled tonight’s edition of #HIGNFY - no, we didn’t book Danny Baker. “We booked Heidi Allen, a member of a party no-one knows the name of (not even the people in it), because the Euro elections, which nobody wants, may or may not be happening. Sorry.”<doc-sep>If you're wondering why Have I Got News For You wasn't on tonight (May 10), we've got the answer for you. The panel show usually airs Friday nights at 9pm, but BBC One decided to pull tonight's from broadcast only minutes before it was scheduled to air and replaced it with fellow panel series Would I Lie to You?. The programme's official Twitter account explained that the BBC cancelled the episode over impartiality fears ahead of the now-confirmed looming European elections on May 23 as Heidi Allen, the interim leader of Change UK, was one of the guests. This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. Sorry everyone. The BBC have pulled tonight’s edition of #HIGNFY - no, we didn’t book Danny Baker. We booked Heidi Allen, a member of a party no-one knows the name of (not even the people in it), because the Euro elections, which nobody wants, may or may not be happening. Sorry. — Have I Got News For You (@haveigotnews) May 10, 2019 In a tweet posted 21 minutes before its 9pm time slot, the show said: "Sorry everyone. "The BBC have pulled tonight’s edition of#HIGNFY – no, we didn’t book Danny Baker. "We booked Heidi Allen, a member of a party no-one knows the name of (not even the people in it), because the Euro elections, which nobody wants, may or may not be happening. Sorry." Still, Heidi herself questioned on Twitter: "What have I done?!" This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. What have I done......?! pic.twitter.com/7AtrUf25gG — Heidi Allen (@heidiallen75) May 9, 2019 The episode was presented by Jo Brand and recorded the day before. However, some viewers have questioned the decision to pull it given that BBC One aired an episode of Question Time featuring the Brexit Party's leader Nigel Farage only last night (May 9). In a now-deleted tweet, Pointless host Richard Osman explained that the laws around giving each political party equal time can be tricky for comedy shows to deal with. David M. Benett / Contributor Getty Images Osman wrote: "Regarding cancellation of tonight's #HIGNFY because of Heidi Allen. Incorrect decision though I think it is, comedy shows find impartiality and 'equal screen-time' laws far trickier than news programmes in the lead-up to all elections. Always been that way, if that's of interest. "I have absolutely no knowledge of what went on in this case though, I just thought that might be interesting to people." So, Have I Got News For You (probably) returns next Friday (May 17) at 9pm on BBC One. Want up-to-the-minute entertainment news and features? Just hit 'Like' on our Digital Spy Facebook page and 'Follow' on our @digitalspy Instagram and Twitter account. This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io<doc-sep>Have I Got News For You's latest episode has been cancelled - here's why. Episode 5 of the new series of Have I Got News For You was due to air last night (Friday, May 10). Advertisements However just minutes beforehand, the BBC announced that the show had been pulled from schedules. Instead, Would I Lie To You took its slot before a repeat of Mrs Brown's Boys. The episode’s guest host was Jo Brand, with guest panellists Heidi Allen MP, interim leader of Change UK, & comedian Phil Wang joining team captains Ian Hislop & Paul Merton. The BBC has said the show was cancelled due to election rules. HIGNFY posted on Twitter: "Sorry everyone. The BBC have pulled tonight’s edition of #HIGNFY - no, we didn’t book Danny Baker. We booked Heidi Allen, a member of a party no-one knows the name of (not even the people in it), because the Euro elections, which nobody wants, may or may not be happening. Sorry." A spokesperson for the BBC explained the decision: "The BBC has specific editorial guidelines that apply during election periods. Advertisements "Because of this it would be inappropriate to feature political party leaders on entertainment programmes during this short election period, which does not allow for equal representation to be achieved." It's understood the BBC will try to air the episode at a later date. The series is due to continue next Friday, May 17, at 9PM. Comedian Rhod Gilbert guest presents with fellow comedian Tom Allen & broadcaster Emma Barnett scheduled to appear as panellists alongside team captains Ian Hislop & Paul Merton. Further established guest presenters appearing in future episodes are set to include Victoria Coren-Mitchell. Advertisements The new series of Have I Got News For You airs weekly on Friday nights from 5th April for 9 weeks, with the extended repeats, Have I Got A Bit More News For You. You can stream and watch episodes online for free via the BBC iPlayer.<doc-sep>
The BBC said it pulled Friday night's episode of Have I Got News For You because of the forthcoming European elections. A statement on the show's official Facebook page said: “Sorry everyone. The BBC have pulled tonight’s edition of #HIGNFY – no, we didn’t book Danny Baker. “We booked Heidi Allen, a member of a party no-one knows the name of (not even the people in it), because the Euro elections, which nobody wants, may or may not be happening. Sorry.” Allen is a member of The Independent Group in Parliament, which has launched the political party Change UK which is contesting the European elections on Thursday, May 23. There are strict rules governing TV in the run-up to elections. The programme was due to go out at 9pm and was replaced by an episode of Would I Lie To You. A BBC spokesperson said in a statement to the press: "The BBC has specific editorial guidelines that apply during election periods. "Because of this it would be inappropriate to feature political party leaders on entertainment programmes during this short election period, which does not allow for equal representation to be achieved. "So we will not broadcast the scheduled episode of HIGNFY featuring Heidi Allen, leader of Change UK. "We will look to broadcast this episode at a later date." Radio presenter Danny Baker was fired from BBC Radio 5 Live after posting a tweet regarding the royal baby, comparing the infant to a chimpanzee. Heidi Allen is a former Conservative MP who resigned to join The Independent Group, which is made up of former anti-Brexit Tory and Labour politicians who are campaigning for a second EU referendum. It is only a couple of weeks since Have I Got News For You featured our tongue-in-cheek story about a bent pole in Gloucester Docks. While previous episodes have also made reference to GCHQ (fluffing a joke about the intelligence gathering HQ and Greggs) and guest host Frankie Boyle once had something to say about Forest Green Rovers. Viewers expressed their surprise on twitter, with many wondering why no-one in the production staff twigged the election was on.