BBC shows cancelled as Blankety Blank and two more are cut
The BBC has axed Blankety Blank, Celebrity Mastermind and Live At The Apollo as it seeks £500M in savings amid funding pressure.
By Bianca Rossi · Entertainment Editor
2 min read
Three BBC shows cancelled in a fresh round of cuts are Blankety Blank, Celebrity Mastermind and Live At The Apollo, Deadline reported, as the UK broadcaster looks for £500 million, or $664 million, in savings over the coming years.
The corporation described the cancellations as “difficult decisions” and linked them directly to its funding problems. The move takes three entertainment titles off the BBC slate as cost-cutting bites into programming.
In a statement reported by Deadline, the BBC said it was “incredibly proud” of the three shows and thanked the people who worked on them “in front of and behind the camera.” The broadcaster said the programmes had been brought to screen and made successful “over many years.”
Which BBC shows are cancelled?
The affected shows named by the BBC are Blankety Blank, Celebrity Mastermind and Live At The Apollo. All three sit within the broadcaster’s entertainment output, which the BBC said is where these particular savings have been found.
- Blankety Blank
- Celebrity Mastermind
- Live At The Apollo
The cancellations are part of a wider savings plan at the broadcaster. Deadline reported that the BBC is aiming to save £500 million over the coming years while dealing with a funding crisis.
Why has the BBC cancelled Blankety Blank, Celebrity Mastermind and Live At The Apollo?
The BBC said the decision came because of its funding challenges. In its statement, the broadcaster said it had to make “some really tough choices” and that the savings had been identified from the entertainment genre.
That means the cuts are not being presented as a judgment on one single programme. The BBC’s explanation points to budget pressure across the corporation and a decision to take money out of entertainment programming.
The broadcaster did not announce replacement shows in the comments reported by Deadline. It also did not set out any further detail on whether other entertainment titles could face similar decisions.
For viewers, the immediate news is clear: three familiar BBC entertainment shows have been dropped. For the corporation, the cancellations are one part of a larger push to reduce spending by hundreds of millions of pounds.
The BBC’s statement kept the tone careful, praising the teams behind the programmes while making clear that the financial squeeze had forced the cut. As reported by Deadline, the broadcaster framed the move as a reluctant decision taken under pressure, rather than a routine schedule refresh.
This story draws on original reporting from Deadline.