AN advertisement shown by the BBC during the World Cup final has been slammed as critics posting online have labelled it as self-aggrandising while also pointing to several failures including the broadcaster’s coverage of the genocide in Gaza.
Aired on BBC One during Sunday’s clash between Argentina and Spain, the film saw around 100 celebrities ask the question “what has the BBC ever done for me”, drawing inspiration from a similar advert shown in 1986 fronted by comedian John Cleese.
In the Cleese role, Romesh Ranganathan led the musical-style film, which saw the comedian walking through sets ranging from East Enders to the Six O’Clock News while discussing the broadcaster’s charity work, educational services, entertainment output and Verify service.
It comes amid a backdrop of falling number of licence fee paying households, with the latest figures showing a decrease of 540,000 licences, bringing the total to 23.3 million being actively paid for.
Speaking after the statistics were published in a report, the BBC’s new director-general Matt Brittin said: “This is a moment of real jeopardy, not just for the BBC but for public service broadcasting and the UK as a whole.
“I believe the case for the BBC has never been stronger: public service, economic impact, UK sovereignty and values.
“Our mission has never been more needed. So reinventing the BBC to fulfil that mission in a fast-changing world is our duty and our challenge. That’s the work that is now under way.”
Brittin has previously suggested that the BBC could be funded by a general levy added on to people’s energy bills .
However, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has said the UK Government has ruled out a universal tax or levy to fund the BBC.
The advert has drawn criticism online, with users on Twitter/X labelling it as having a "patronising tone" while also highlighting several failures of the broadcaster, including the handling of complaints relating to Jimmy Saville, coverage of pro-Scottish-independence viewpoints and a failure to challenge claims made by Israel about Palestine.
The BBC has been blasted several times by human rights organisations and top foreign-policy officials over its coverage of Gaza.
In July, Francesca Albanese, the UN's special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, labelled the broadcaster’s coverage of detained Palestinian doctor Hussam Abu Safiya as “scandalous”.
Dr Abu Safiya was arrested at the end of 2024 as the Israeli military forced patients and medical staff to leave Kamal Adwan hospital in northern Gaza, alleging the facility was a "Hamas terrorist stronghold".
Lied about, excused, and obfuscated genocide? https://t.co/KX7a4CcWiQ
— Philip Proudfoot (@PhilipProudfoot) July 19, 2026
Covering this development, BBC News had read out a statement from the Israeli government repeating the claims that Abu Safiya was apprehended for “suspected involvement in Hamas activities” and for “holding rank in Hamas”.
But this move was condemned by Francesca Albanese, the UN's special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories.
“Scandalous. 18 months in arbitrary detention. No charge. No evidence. Torture attested by his lawyer, marks visible on his body,” she said on Twitter/X in reaction to the clip.
“And instead of covering this, BBC amplifies Israel's unproven claims casting doubt on a hostage doctor. BBC's journalism in the time of genocide.”
Former BBC journalist Karishma Patel – who left the BBC last October because of its Gaza coverage – also hit out at the coverage.
“For the thousandth time BBC News, you need to tell the public when there’s no evidence behind a claim,” she said.
“Tell us Israel’s response, but caveat it with ‘we have seen no evidence to support this’. Dr Hussam Abu Safiya’s life is on the line. I am so utterly disgusted and exhausted.”
Edinburgh University professor Nicola Perugini added: “He (the BBC journalist) reads in one breath, without challenge, the Israeli army statement arguing that torturing doctors to death after destroying hospitals is normal because, based on the Israeli military’s fabrications, doctors have helped transform medical facilities into shields for combatants.”
Concerns have also been raised about the BBC’s coverage in Scotland, and its platforming of billionaires and right-wing figures.
In May the selection of Question Time panellists for a special episode focused on the risks and promises of AI was called out for a “dangerous” lack of balance – with Zack Polanski suggesting the BBC had allowed a billionaire to buy “an entire episode”.
Alongside Labour minister Darren Jones – who is known for championing AI in government – and Tory shadow technology secretary Julia Lopez, the panel will feature former Google X executive Mo Gawdat, Tony Blair Institute AI director Laura Gilbert, and AI company executive Victor Riparbelli.
Journalist Carole Cadwalladr said the panel “is the equivalent of pitting Nigel Farage against Rupert Lowe with a bit of Tommy Robinson thrown in”.
Several complaints have also been lodged over an alleged lack of representation of pro-independence voices on BBC Scotland channels.
In March Holyrood 's culture committee has expressed concern over a "long-standing frustration" with the BBC not serving licence fee payers in all parts of the UK by missing opportunities to be precise in its reporting of issues which only apply to England or Scotland.
The report also raises concerns about the downgrading of local news within Scotland, encouraging the regulator Ofcom to use its power to mitigate risks from any plans for centralisation and reduced regional coverage.
The former culture secretary, Angus Robertson, also accused the BBC of “misleading” viewers and listeners by “misreporting” news from the devolved government .
He insisted the broadcaster “has [a] systemic problem in its news coverage” of Scotland.
While the advert drew criticism, some viewers also supported the three-minute-long break as a reminder of the breadth of content the BBC produces that is widely consumed, including David Attenborough's nature documentaries, Doctor Who and Strictly Come Dancing.
The film concluded with Louis Theroux telling Ranganathan that “none of this needs to exist, if we don’t want it to” while posing next to a BBC “on/off” switch before the comedian discussed the knock-on economic impact the BBC has on the UK.
