Angry staff questioned whether the licence fee would be worth paying after the BBC axed Radio 4 news shows and warned that channels could close in a rolling series of brutal cuts.
Star news presenters will undergo a “value for money” assessment under the cost-saving plans set out by new Director-General Matt Brittin, designed to close a £500m funding gap as more people stop paying the £180 licence fee.
Radio 4 programmes including The World Tonight – the 10pm show which has run for 56 years delivering “in-depth reporting, intelligent analysis and major breaking news from a global perspective” – will be axed.
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Is a heatwave around the corner? What the forecast says
How inflation will affect your weekly shop
WEATHER
The weather to expect this weekend
Caption: As record-breaking spring temperatures continue in the capital, visitors buy ice creams on Westminster Bridge, on 26th May 2026, in London, England. The record for the hottest day for May temperature in the UK has been broken for the second day in a row, with 35C recorded. (Photo by Richard Baker / In Pictures via Getty Images)
Photographer: Richard Baker
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Copyright: Richard Baker
Heatwave conditions are forecast for parts of the UK this weekend as temperatures rise, with some areas set to be hotter than Barbados.
Temperatures are expected to climb steadily into the high 20°Cs across the country later this week, and 30°C could be reached in southern parts of England by Friday, the Met Office said.
What is a heatwave?
In the UK, a heatwave is officially defined as a location recording at least three consecutive days with daily maximum temperatures meeting or exceeding the heatwave temperature threshold, the Met Office says.
NEWS
4 min read
LIFESTYLE
5 min read
How hot will the UK get?
32°C
There is potential for 32°C to be reached in the south of England on Sunday and even higher temperatures could be recorded on Monday, when 33°C is forecast.
26-30°C
In comparison, the Caribbean island of Barbados is set to see temperatures fluctuate between 26°C and 30°C on Sunday.
Heat warnings issued
A yellow heat health alert was issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) for the East Midlands, the east of England, London and the southeast of England from 3pm on Wednesday, and will remain in place until 8pm on Monday 22 June.
Unseasonal heatwaves have been recorded in southern California, as well as many other destinations (Photo: Kevin Carter/Getty Images)
Caption: LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – SEPTEMBER 06: People sit by the fountain during the hot weather in London, United Kingdom on September 06, 2023. The British Meteorological Office (Met Office), which issued a ‘red’ alarm by predicting that temperatures will reach 33 degrees this week, predicts that the temperature record of the year will be broken this week. According to the statement made by the Met Office, a temperature reaching 32-33 degrees is expected from today until Saturday, especially in the south of the country and London. (Photo by Rasid Necati Aslim/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Photographer: Anadolu Agency
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Source: Anadolu
A yellow heat health alert means there is likely to be a “greater risk to life of vulnerable people” and water‑related incidents may increase, including risks from cold‑water shock and drowning, the UKHSA’s website states.
Which areas will see spells of rain?
Although it will be warm for many, some areas will experience spells of rain. Northern and western parts of the UK will be particularly affected by wet weather. There is also a slight chance of thunderstorms across southeastern England, forecasters said.
Caption: LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – JUNE 4: Citizens use umbrellas and raincoats to walk through the streets as rainy weather disrupts daily life across London, United Kingdom, on June 4, 2026. (Photo by Rasid Necati Aslim/Anadolu via Getty Images)
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Source: Anadolu
Caption: LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 02: Lightning flashes are seen above homes on June 02, 2026 in London, England. The Met Office issued a weather warning that heavy rain was thunderstorms were expected to cross the whole country on Monday. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
Photographer: Dan Kitwood
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Source: Getty Images Europe
Copyright: 2026 Getty Images
NEWS
Inflation holds steady as food price rises ease
Caption: CARDIFF, WALES – MAY 22: A woman holds a shopping basket of groceries on May 22, 2022 in Cardiff, Wales. Last week, the UK Office for National Statistics reported an 6% average increase of food and drink prices year on year, but some staples, such as milk and pasta, had risen by more than 10%. (Photo by Matthew Horwood/Getty Images)
Photographer: Matthew Horwood
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Source: Getty Images Europe
UK inflation unexpectedly flatlined last month as a slowdown in food price rises offset pressure from airfares, according to official figures.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation was recorded at 2.8 per cent in May, the same rate as in April. It was lower than expected by economists.
What does this mean for food prices?
The latest ONS inflation figures reveal the price of goods and services is still increasing, but at the same speed as in April.
Margarine, pizza, tea, rice and chocolate were among the groceries that saw their cost accelerate last month.
Caption: A customer places shopping bags in her car outside an Aldi Stores Ltd. supermarket in Benfleet, UK, on Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024. UK grocery price inflation edged up in October as British shoppers flocked to supermarkets in the busiest month since the pandemic. Photographer: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Photographer: Bloomberg
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Source: Bloomberg
Caption: Undated file photo of a person holding a shopping basket in a supermarket. Trust in the grocery sector has plummeted to its lowest point in more than a decade as the majority of households grapple with supermarket prices, a survey suggests. Issue date: Tuesday August 29, 2023. PA Photo. See PA story CONSUMER Supermarkets. Photo credit should read: Julien Behal/PA Wire
Photographer: Julien Behal
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Source: PA
Coffee, fish, whole milk, frozen vegetables, pasta, meat, bread and potatoes recorded a smaller year-on-year rise in price in May than in April.
The impact on grocery staples
Caption: CARDIFF, WALES – MAY 22: A woman with a shopping trolley full of groceries in a supermarket aisle on May 22, 2022 in Cardiff, Wales. Last week, the UK Office for National Statistics reported an 6% average increase of food and drink prices year on year, but some staples, such as milk and pasta, had risen by more than 10%. (Photo by Matthew Horwood/Getty Images)
Photographer: Matthew Horwood
Provider: Getty Images
Source: Getty Images Europe
Cheese and curd
The average price of cheese and curd fell 2.4 per cent.
Meat
The average cost of meat rose by 2.3 per cent, compared to 3.6 per cent in the year to April.
Caption: A shopper walks along the meat aisle inside an ALDI supermarket near Altrincham, Britain, February 20, 2023. REUTERS/Phil Noble/
Photographer: PHIL NOBLE
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Caption: Grocery food shopping on conveyor belt at supermarket checkout till in Lidl, UK. (Photo by: Alex Segre/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
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Source: Universal Images Group Editorial
Copyright: Alex Segre
Yoghurt and jam
The average price of yoghurt dropped 0.6 per cent and jams and marmalades 3.0 per cent.
Caption: LONDON, ENGLAND – MARCH 9: Fuel prices are displayed at a petrol station in Streatham on March 9, 2026 in London, United Kingdom. Fuel prices remain volatile as peace talks have stalled between the US and Iran in recent weeks. As a result, traffic through the Strait of Hormuz continues to be restricted, impacting the global supply chain of around one fifth of the world’s petroleum. In the face of rising costs of fuel, the UK government has eased sanctions on Russian oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) with a trade license that allows the import of Russian jet fuel and diesel refined in third countries, as well as the shipping of some LNG from Russia. (Photo by Alishia Abodunde/Getty Images)
Photographer: Alishia Abodunde
Provider: Getty Images
Source: Getty Images Europe
Various price changes offset each other
The main upward movement came from transport with airfares, vehicle taxes and petrol prices all pushing up inflation.
ONS chief economist Grant Fitzner said. He added that these were offset by lower food prices.
The departing Amol Rajan will not be replaced on the Today programme, which will have four permanent presenters instead of five. Suggestions that the format will change to a magazine-style discussion with a single host on Saturdays was pure speculation, the BBC said.
Familiar faces could disappear from TV news bulletins, with all chief presenter roles to be reviewed on a value-for-money basis, “to ensure we have the right number of presenters”.
Specialist on-air editors, covering areas such as health, education and sport, will have their roles reviewed too.
‘Loyal viewers will question licence fee’
One news staffer said: “It’s devastating, everyone is fearing for their jobs. How can the BBC produce the quality of journalism licence fee payers expect when funding is being gutted? Loyal viewers will ask whether it’s still worth paying.”
A Today programme insider said: “There could be an exodus now. It’s the flagship show and it’s already lost its dedicated reporting team.”
Veteran Today presenter Justin Webb reportedly met Bari Weiss, the CBS News chief who is on a hiring spree and last week poached Sky News Sunday politics presenter Trevor Phillips. It is understood no offer has yet been made to Webb.
The rolling BBC News channel survives but will be “tailoring its agenda more to an international focus,” according to an internal memo to staff sent by interim BBC News CEO Jonathan Munro, seen by The i Paper.
“It will of course continue to reflect UK stories which are of interest to the rest of the world. These changes will allow us to pursue opportunities to raise more revenue from the news channel’s global footprint.”
Sunday’s BBC Breakfast scrapped
The Sunday TV edition of Breakfast will be scrapped with BBC One simulcasting the News channel.
Newsnight, reinvented as a discussion show in a previous round of cuts, escapes the axe and will have an earlier primetime BBC Two slot on Fridays. But its production team will be merged with the team that makes Laura Kuenssberg’s Sunday morning show.
Former The World Tonight presenter Ritula Shah said she was ‘very sad’ that the BBC had axed the global news show (Photo: BBC)
Radio 4 bore the brunt of the cuts, which will see 550 jobs go across news, TV and radio in a bid to deliver £160m in cost savings this year.
As well as The World Tonight, Money Box Live, the Midnight News bulletin, Crossing Continents, The Law Show and AntiSocial will disappear.
Simulcasts of World Service programmes, including Newshour, will cover some of the late evening gaps. “They’ve ripped the heart out of Radio 4,” said one staffer.
There will be 350 to 400 fewer hours of new radio programmes across stations and a reduction of around 150 hours of original TV shows by 2028, the BBC said.
A BBC source said: “Those are tough decisions but cutting those late-evening shows means budgets are protected where the biggest audiences are like Today, World at One and the 6pm bulletin.”
Munro warned there was even more pain to come. “The plans we’re outlining today will save around £25m, and in this phase we expect a net reduction of around 200 roles,” he wrote in his email.
“However, we need to reduce our costs by at least £51m by next April. We therefore expect to make more announcements over the next few months involving further post closures amounting to a level similar to today’s.”
He acknowledged that viewers would notice changes such as the BBC Breakfast edition on Sunday being replaced by the News channel.
Review of BBC Asian Network and 4 Extra
In a message to shellshocked staff, Brittin announced a cost-saving review of all the BBC’s TV and radio stations “as audiences move online” and warned “we will have to close some programmes”. Only shows with the highest “value and impact” will be protected.
The £66m-a-year BBC Three youth channel could close with its content moved online.
The £25m archive arts and history channel BBC Four could be merged with BBC Two, The i Paper understands.
The review is also set to ask if digital radio stations such as Asian Network and 4 Extra are providing value for money for licence fee payers.
Local and regional radio stations could drop their own shows and broadcast national station 5 Live during afternoons.
Roger Mosey, former head of BBC TV News said: “It’s clear that the BBC has to make cuts. The questions are whether they’re the right ones – and slashing news is a bad start. And how can the Government say the BBC is a vital national service and see it steadily defunded in this way?”
Ritula Shah, a former The World Tonight presenter, said she was “very sad but not surprised” that the BBC had axed the programme.
She told the Radio 4 Media Show that she felt the programme was “underappreciated within the organisation” and had already faced a series of cuts which prompted her departure in 2023 after 35 years at the BBC.
Risk to daytime TV
Some insiders want the BBC to axe daytime TV shows in order to focus investment on high-impact programmes for prime time and the iPlayer.
One senior insider said cuts could be made without axeing shows. “There are a lot of on-air News specialists paid £150,000 to £250,000 who aren’t on air very much. You could start with cutting those. Tough decisions have been avoided for too long, the BBC is like working for a cult.”
Brittin said the planned £160m savings at BBC News and further TV and radio areas was a contribution to £500m in savings needed over the next two years.
BBC director-general Matt Brittin said the broadcaster had to make tough choices (Photo: Chris J Ratcliffe/Reuters)
The new BBC boss has begun discussions with the Government over a reformed licence fee. The number of licences in force has dropped by 1.5 million since 2020, costing the BBC around £1bn in potential revenue, a Parliamentary report found.
The BBC wants ministers to consider extending the charge to everyone watching programmes through streaming platforms such as Netflix.
There will be compulsory redundancies, with the BBC looking to close around 700 corporate roles from a total workforce of around 20,000. Those job cuts will take place over the next three years.
The BBC declined to say which other programmes would be scrapped under the plans, with further details to be worked out over the summer.