BBC staff are “outraged” by the broadcaster’s decision to purge Roisin Murphy from a scheduled programme just weeks after the Irish singer faced online backlash for her views on puberty backers, an expert has claimed.
Murphy’s songs, interviews and concert highlights were supposed to be broadcast by Radio 6 music next week as part of the 6 Music Artist Collection.
The plans were quietly shelved with Murphy being replaced by rapper Little Simz, soon after the Irish singer was struck with a deluge of abuse online.
The former Moloko star dared to criticise puberty blockers in a private Facebook page post which was soon widely shared.
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Speaking on GB News, the Daily Mail’s Katie Hind claimed BBC staff have been left disillusioned by the decision, despite the broadcaster insisting that the decision had nothing to do with Murphy’s contentious Facebook post.
“I was contacted by staff who work on the station who were absolutely outraged by this”, she said.
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“There was five hours scheduled next Monday and five next Tuesday in a celebration of her.
“It was all scheduled on the website, and the next thing, staff just see it has been changed.
“The ones who have contacted me are really concerned about what this means for them as staff. Are they not allowed to have a view? Could it get them cancelled?
“The BBC said this is a poetry week, so it is more appropriate for Little Simz to take the slot.”
Murphy described the puberty medicinal treatments as "f*****"PAShe added that the poetry event put forward by the BBC is often scheduled “well in advance”, suggesting it is simply a convenient excuse by the broadcaster.
“The staff I’m talking to think the BBC have lied, and they’re really cross about this”, she added.
In her Facebook post, Murphy commented: “Puberty blockers are f---ing, absolutely desolate, big pharma laughing all the way to the bank,” she wrote.
“Little mixed-up kids are vulnerable and need to be protected, that’s just true.
Roisin Murphy criticised puberty blockers on a post on FacebookPA“Please don’t call me a terf, please don’t keep using that word against women.”
The post resulted in two of Murphy’s scheduled gigs being cancelled at short notice and the halting of a record promotion.
Murphy was then forced into a lengthy apology on X.
“I have been thrown into a very public discourse in an arena I’m uncomfortable in and deeply unsuitable for,” she wrote.
“I cannot apologise enough for being the reason for this eruption of damaging and potentially dangerous social-media fire and brimstone.
“To witness the ramifications of my actions and the divisions it has caused is heartbreaking.”
She added: “I will now completely bow out of this conversation within the public domain. I’m not in the slightest bit interested in turning it into ANY kind of ‘campaign’, because campaigning is not what I do. […] My true calling is music and music will never exclude any of us.”
A BBC spokesman said: “The Artist Collections from our archive are regularly on rotation and frequently change to reflect station-wide initiatives as they get confirmed.
“Little Simz was scheduled to reflect 6 Music’s Way With Words programming, which celebrates poetry, rap and spoken word, and airs the following week, tying in with National Poetry Day.
“There was no other reason for the change. Roisin Murphy has been played on 6 Music recently and her Artist Collection remains in rotation.”
The BBC have come under fire multiple times in recent weeks, with another example including their decision to show a swathe of EU flags during Last Night of the Proms.
