Let’s talk about BBC
- Thread starter Beebo
- Start date
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briantrumpet
Timewaster
Or her memory is going.
briantrumpet
Timewaster
Ha, someone's done a more comprehensive analysis of Elaine's media appearances. The BBC should have done this before publishing her story, given that they are, like, journalists.
https://skywriter.blue/@legalclaret.bsky.social/3mrashnf6ik2b
Legal C
July 22, 2026 at 6:02 PM GMT+1
This disingenuous commentary doesn’t help anyone. Frauds start unravelling pretty quickly. That you apparently cannot afford to put your oven or treat yourself is quickly undermined by the question “so why are you spending £50 per week on petrol?” Then, it turns out, she has an agent and Regularity appears on TV to tell the world how badly off she is. There are genuine issues with poverty. We don’t need frauds talking nonsense. Here, for example, she is unhappy with the loss of the winter fuel allowance: uk.news.yahoo.com
'I only ate seven hot meals last year because I can't afford my energy bill'
uk.news.yahoo.com
A few years earlier, and to be fair you can’t accuse her of political bias, she was upset with Boris Johnson’s lack of social care:
Desperate wife caring for dying husband now so poor she can’t afford his funeral
www.mirror.co.uk
And she popped up last year to explain how the triple lock pension increase was insufficient:
Charity issues new warning following state pension rise in Reeves’ Budget
www.independent.co.uk
There is however some good news. In 2024, she was unable to afford to fix her leaking roof, and told reporters she did not have a car. In two years, she has managed to get together enough money to buy a car, tax it, insure it and spend £50 per week on petrol!
My state pension doesn't cover the cost of my leaking roof. I've lost all hope
inews.co.uk
And she had some foresight. Just three years earlier, she told reporters that unexpected repairs, for example a leaky conservatory, was a major concern:
Carer's fears as millions face bill rises as triple lock scrapped
www.northantslive.news
She also found out in 2024 that she had a small pension from her husband, which is taxed. Those more knowledgeable than me can work out how much it is if it attracts tax. She also has four grandchildren. It is not known whether her children might help out.
I've cooked five meals since Christmas - now I'm going to be freezing
www.dailymail.com
Now my thread may come across as cruel, but a cursory glance at media stories reveal both inconsistencies and absurdities: As a rough calculation, she is driving 300 miles a week. She has enough income to pay tax. She has a family (who are of course not obliged to help her). I don’t actually blame her. But media companies need to be responsible and check whether such stories stand up. Poverty is a real problem in the Uk. Let’s not falsify it.
https://skywriter.blue/@legalclaret.bsky.social/3mrashnf6ik2b
Legal C
July 22, 2026 at 6:02 PM GMT+1
This disingenuous commentary doesn’t help anyone. Frauds start unravelling pretty quickly. That you apparently cannot afford to put your oven or treat yourself is quickly undermined by the question “so why are you spending £50 per week on petrol?” Then, it turns out, she has an agent and Regularity appears on TV to tell the world how badly off she is. There are genuine issues with poverty. We don’t need frauds talking nonsense. Here, for example, she is unhappy with the loss of the winter fuel allowance: uk.news.yahoo.com
'I only ate seven hot meals last year because I can't afford my energy bill'
uk.news.yahoo.com
A few years earlier, and to be fair you can’t accuse her of political bias, she was upset with Boris Johnson’s lack of social care:
Desperate wife caring for dying husband now so poor she can’t afford his funeral
www.mirror.co.uk
And she popped up last year to explain how the triple lock pension increase was insufficient:
Charity issues new warning following state pension rise in Reeves’ Budget
www.independent.co.uk
There is however some good news. In 2024, she was unable to afford to fix her leaking roof, and told reporters she did not have a car. In two years, she has managed to get together enough money to buy a car, tax it, insure it and spend £50 per week on petrol!
My state pension doesn't cover the cost of my leaking roof. I've lost all hope
inews.co.uk
And she had some foresight. Just three years earlier, she told reporters that unexpected repairs, for example a leaky conservatory, was a major concern:
Carer's fears as millions face bill rises as triple lock scrapped
www.northantslive.news
She also found out in 2024 that she had a small pension from her husband, which is taxed. Those more knowledgeable than me can work out how much it is if it attracts tax. She also has four grandchildren. It is not known whether her children might help out.
I've cooked five meals since Christmas - now I'm going to be freezing
www.dailymail.com
Now my thread may come across as cruel, but a cursory glance at media stories reveal both inconsistencies and absurdities: As a rough calculation, she is driving 300 miles a week. She has enough income to pay tax. She has a family (who are of course not obliged to help her). I don’t actually blame her. But media companies need to be responsible and check whether such stories stand up. Poverty is a real problem in the Uk. Let’s not falsify it.
briantrumpet
Timewaster
As I'm on a roll here, more strange BBC reporting. They purchased a car to save money. No, in fact, they "invested a lot of money" on making the move to a private car... to save money. And now they are "bitter" the cap's gone down to £2.
Mind you, they do live in Plymouth.
Mind you, they do live in Plymouth.
BoldonLad
Old man on a bike. Not a member of a clique.
- Location
- South Tyneside
I have long wondered where they dredge up the characters who "feature" in News reports as plausible(?) examples. I had always assumed that BBC and ITV had a department which had lists of elderly people, disabled people, single mothers, etc etc, who they could call upon at short notice to oblige. Looks like I was not far wrong.
Last edited:
Pross
Guru
“Other people in our previous situation have received a benefit and we haven’t . It’s unfair, we should get compunsayshun”
Do they ever consider how stupid they make themselves look with these things? There’s someone I know who sold his story to one of the national tabloids after wiping his a*se with bleach wipes thinking they were toilet wipes. He thought he’d get paid a load but got about £200 and everyone taking the p1ss for the rest of his life. He takes it in good spirit though.
briantrumpet
Timewaster
Actually genuinely interested whether Jones is a regular BBC reporter. Let's just say that his feed on X does seem to portray a certain obsession. Worth scrolling down his posts.
https://x.com/SimonJonesNews
briantrumpet
Timewaster
EDIT:
Gemini says he is. (IGIC)
Hard to square that with the focus of his feed on X.
Pblakeney
Shaman
So much on this thread today but this one takes the biscuit. "Stands on clifftops."
But apparently want to be really, really safe and not go anywhere near a dangerous edge. What is that edge? 12mm? 🤪
OP
OP
Beebo
Legendary Member
I’ve heard James O’Brien discuss this on his show. It’s why the same old MPs and experts pop up on loads of news shows.
The producers need someone quick for a comment, and don’t have time to find the right person, who may be busy or may not want to talk live at 19pm on a Tuesday night, so it’s far easier to return to people they know already who are often only too happy to comment.
Pblakeney
Shaman
I like the idea of getting 19PM as more time sounds good at my time of life. 😉
midlandsgrimpeur
Prostrate Member
He is the guy they have on some coastal path or standing on a beach when there is a story on either a) a storm brewing (brewed) or b) migrant boat crossing. This appears to be his niche.
briantrumpet
Timewaster
His anti-migrant bias has been noticed by others
https://bsky.app/profile/adambienkov.bsky.social/post/3mraean6zrk2g
I genuinely am perplexed how he can be used by the BBC as a 'reporter'.
