Stars, writers and presenters hit back at Lord Adonis over 'BBC on the ropes' comment

In a tweet posted on Wednesday, Adonis wrote: “BBC on ropes. Sport largely gone to Sky. Quality drama gone to Netflix. BBC news increasingly Brexit, weak & simply Govt press releases. If Netflix set up a sharp, balanced News service, what would be left besides local radio, a desert island & a few good foreign correspondents?”

https://twitter.com/Andrew_Adonis/status/963773567031750657

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This message came after Adonis initially expressed excitement about the opportunity to appear on the BBC to discuss Brexit.

https://twitter.com/Andrew_Adonis/status/963711200243716097?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.huffingtonpost.co.uk%2Fentry%2Flord-adonis-bbc-gary-lineker_uk_5a847ad2e4b0058d55655a87

The attack on the BBC was quickly met with responses from actors, writers, presenters and media figures, from Gary Lineker and Nick Robinson to Dara Ó Briain and Dan Walker.

https://twitter.com/daraobriain/status/963788730904563712

https://twitter.com/GaryLineker/status/963810334661402624

https://twitter.com/mrdanwalker/status/963812307531902977

Today presenter Nick Robinson challenged him on his comments, saying that the BBC had a duty to "hear from and challenge people you may dislike and/or fear".

https://twitter.com/bbcnickrobinson/status/963893933431455744

https://twitter.com/bbcnickrobinson/status/964035317501235200

Sports journalist Richard Conway challenged the idea that sport on the BBC is "largely gone".

https://twitter.com/richard_conway/status/963816968242515968

While Horrible Histories and Wrong Mans star Mat Baynton said that the BBC's "critical and commercial successes" were "watched all over the world".

https://twitter.com/realmatbaynton/status/963825527478943747

https://twitter.com/greg_jenner/status/963821456919547909

https://twitter.com/simonblackwell/status/963824985570717696

Jeremy Vine simply shared a photo of him dancing on BBC1’s Strictly.

https://twitter.com/theJeremyVine/status/963835487415922689

Enough said.