Victoria Derbyshire condemns BBC over reason for axing her show

Victoria Derbyshire has condemned claims by the BBC that it is cutting her show because it failed to grow its live audience.

The presenter previously revealed that she learned her show would be axed as part of a string of cuts when it was reported in a newspaper.

She wrote on Twitter: “we were NEVER asked to grow the linear Tv audience. Ever. We were asked to grow our digital audience – we did – our digi figures are huge (our successful digital figures appear to be an inconvenience to those making the decisions).”

She added: “Our remit when we were set up: 1. Original journalism 2. Reaching underserved audiences 3. Growing the digital figures We achieved all 3.”

Derbyshire live tweeted from a briefing to BBC staff about the cuts to the news division as part of a cost-reduction drive.

She previously posted an image of a screen from the presentation, entitled Modernising BBC News, which she said was being streamed to staff elsewhere in the BBC.

She told her followers: “Head of internal comms just said to us all, ‘enjoy and relax’.”

And she wrote of the BBC’s director of news and current affairs: “Fran Unsworth arrives….

“‘Cheery’ music in room like you hear when you’re your put on hold…..”

Derbyshire reportedly used the briefing to confront Ms Unsworth about the decision to axe her show.

An online petition calling for the corporation to reverse its decision to cut the programme has more than 30,000 signatures.