Somehow a Tory MP has dragged Art Attack hero Neil Buchanan into BBC bias row

The BBC bias row has taken an unexpected twist absolutely no one saw coming involving Art Attack’s Neil Buchanan.

The childhood hero for millennials has been unwillingly dragged into the news after a Tory MP blamed poor Neil for being partly responsible for bias at the BBC.

On Kay Burley’s Sky News show yesterday, Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer’s claimed the BBC was more biased than GB News, despite the latter having actual Tory ministers as presenters.

She then failed to give any examples of BBC bias despite launching a government crackdown on the broadcaster.

Defending Frazer, Minister for State and Rail Huw Merriman insisted he has ‘always been a friend of the BBC’ but some of its news reporters are biased, including our Neil who only ever gives ‘one side of the story’.

Merriman likely meant to say Michael Buchanan but regardless, he is of course getting dragged on X:

‘The hilarious thing about this isn’t just the minister naming Art Attack host Neil Buchanan as seeming proof of BBC News bias, but that Art Attack aired on…ITV,’ noted Labour councilor Matt Dent on X.

Also on X, user Steve Baker chuckled: ‘I never realised Art Attack was a left-wing propaganda programme,’ while account Make The UK a Tory Free Zone added: ‘I always knew art attack was quite radical, I didn’t know their goal was to undermine government’s though.’

Merriman’s embarrassment didn’t stop there though as in the same interview he admitted to thinking that BBC Radio 4’s blatantly satirical The News Quiz was a  ‘diatribe against Conservatives’.

Neil Buchanan is an unbiased childhood hero for millennials (Picture: ITV)

When Burley pointed out that there is a clear difference between satire and news reporting, Merriman bizarrely doubled down.

‘For 10 minutes all I heard, and it wasn’t satirical, it was just diatribe against Conservatives, not the government. And I did listen to that and think “for goodness sake, where is the balance in that?”’ he said.

‘So yes, I’m afraid to say despite the fact I’ve always been a big supporter of the BBC, that struck me as completely biased.’

Again, Burley asked Merriman to clarify if he could tell the difference between comedy and the actual news, but he stood by his argument.

‘I love it when politicians get lampooned, but that was the whole point,’ he stressed. ‘There wasn’t anything in it in that particular regard which struck me as being amusing.’

Good to know the government is still being completely normal…

Got a story?

If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us [email protected], calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.

Ok…