Comedian Geoff Norcott has responded to a newspaper's reports of his involvement on a diversity panel.
The Guardian led their story by saying "A Conservative-voting white male comedian has been appointed to the BBC’s diversity and inclusion group, which has the task of ensuring the broadcaster is representative of modern Britain."
Norcott – who grew up on a council estate and is one of the few openly Conservative, Brexit-supporting stand-ups on the circuit – played down his involvement, tweeting: "The Guardian have been seriously mischievous with this. I was asked - on a voluntary basis - to say a few words on a panel about working class representation at the BBC. Nothing about politics. Nothing about Brexit. Everyone relax."
The aim of the group is to help advise the BBC on how it portrays all of the UK’s communities on air, and represents them in its workforce. According to a BBC release the new external members of a refreshed Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Group, meeting for the first time today, are:
- Adele Patrick - Co-founder of the Glasgow Women's Library
- Geoff Norcott - comedian
- June Sarpong - presenter
- Solomon Elliott - Chief Executive of The Student View
- Tanya Motie - Former BBC One and BBC Three Channel Executive
