“We don’t provide third-party costs for commercial reasons.”
Romesh Ranganathan was reportedly paid for the BBC campaign “what has the BBC ever done for me?” while other celebrity cameos were unpaid.
The three-minute film celebrates the broadcaster’s contribution to British entertainment, culture and public life.
Ranganathan leads the campaign and travels through some of the BBC’s most recognisable programmes, sets and studios.
The comedian is joined by stars including Chris Martin, Louis Theroux and Anton Du Beke.
Romesh Ranganathan initially said he was “honoured to be asked to front it”, but was in fact paid to lead the advert.
It is understood Ranganathan received payment because of the significant time commitment involved in filming the campaign.
The BBC has not disclosed how much he was paid.
A BBC spokesperson said: “We don’t provide third-party costs for commercial reasons.”
They added that, like other broadcasters, the BBC creates promotional campaigns to help audiences understand the value of its services.
While Ranganathan was paid for his involvement, the other celebrity cameos are understood to have taken part for free.
The BBC developed the creative idea internally, with many contributors donating their time to support the campaign.
The advert features well-known names including Claudia Winkleman, Alan Carr, Peter Capaldi, Graham Norton and Stacey Solomon.
International stars including Cate Blanchett and Daisy Ridley also appear.
The campaign is inspired by the BBC’s 1986 advert featuring John Cleese.
The updated version revisits the question for a new generation almost 40 years later.
The film begins with Ranganathan inside the Queen Vic pub from EastEnders.
He questions whether the BBC remains valuable before exploring its impact on audiences across the UK.
Throughout the advert, Ranganathan highlights the broadcaster’s role in entertainment, news and charity fundraising.
He references programmes including The Traitors, as well as BBC coverage of Glastonbury and popular figures such as Mary Berry.
The campaign also features BBC favourites including Pudsey Bear and Daleks from Doctor Who.
Ranganathan has previously acknowledged that the BBC is not without criticism.
However, he has argued that losing the broadcaster would have a major impact on British culture.
The campaign ends with the message: “There’s a BBC for each of us. Funded by all of us.”
The advert aims to highlight the BBC’s role in providing entertainment, journalism and cultural programming for audiences nationwide.
Loading ...