BBC To Send 765 Staff To The Olympics

The BBC will send 765 staff to cover the Olympic games in London.

The 765 BBC staff is an increase on the 493 people the broadcaster sent to the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

Dave Gordon, BBC Sport's head of major events, defended the staff numbers in an interview with Radio Times.

"Don't forget, NBC is flying 2,700 over from the USA. So we're pretty lean and mean," he said. "I look on it as a reminder of how passionately the audience cares what the BBC does and the way we do it. We've a hard-earned reputation for doing the Olympics well."

Gordon said he was confident the BBC would not face the kind of criticism it attracted for its coverage of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, but admitted the broadcaster will get nervous if Team GB's medal haul did not match expectations.

"Ultimately, one of the measures of the success of the Games and the success of our coverage will be how the British public feel about Team GB's performance. Say we have a barren first few days, we'll all get a little twitchy," he said.

July 17 2012 - waveguide.co.uk

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Hilary Swank In BBC Film

Hilary Swank is to star with Brenda Blethyn in a new TV film for Comic Relief highlighting the plight of malaria victims.

Mary And Martha, written by Notting Hill's Richard Curtis, tells the story of an American woman and an English woman who find themselves brought together after they both lose their sons to malaria.

The 90-minute film will be directed by Salt's Phillip Noyce and will screen on BBC One and HBO.

Oscar winner Hilary, who plays American mother Mary, said: "I've long admired Phillip's work and we've been wanting to work together for years. When he shared with me this extraordinary story and I read Richard's beautiful script, I was inspired by the creative possibilities of working with them to tell this remarkable journey of two women from completely different worlds who collided then forged an unbreakable friendship full of humour and grace."

Vera star Brenda said: "This long overdue story of Mary And Martha is Richard Curtis at his best. "

In the film Mary takes her young son, George, played by Lux Hanley Jardine, to Africa, promising adventure and fun, when he contracts the disease, while Martha's son, Ben, played by Snow White And The Hunstman's Sam Claflin, dies while working as a volunteer in Mozambique.

Mary returns to America and begins a one-woman campaign to raise awareness of the disease, while Martha volunteers at the orphanage where her son worked. The two end up joining forces to try and make a difference.

Richard said: "I've always wanted to write a film about the fact that when you have children, there's always the possibility of extreme joy and extreme sorrow. And over the years working with Comic Relief, I have come across the tragedy of the startling number of lives taken by malaria every year."

July 17 2012 - waveguide.co.uk

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Celebrity Masterchef

The BBC today confirmed that the 2012 edition of Celebrity Masterchef will be shown in the evening following complaints from viewers about its daytime TV scheduling last year.

A BBC spokeswoman said the show would be broadcast "in the popular early evening slot of 18:30 on BBC Two".

Fans reacted angrily to a change last year which saw programmes screened at 14:15 during the week, with catch-up shows on Friday and Saturday evenings.

Pop Idol runner-up Gareth Gates is one of this year's 16 star competitors.

John Torode and Gregg Wallace return to host the show's seventh edition Others include radio presenter Jamie Theakston, former Neighbours star Anne Charleston, the comedienne Jenny Eclair and Cheryl Baker of Bucks Fizz fame.

EastEnders actor George Layton, former footballer Danny Mills and ex-Blue Peter host Zoe Salman will also be testing their culinary skills as part of the six-week series.

A start date has not yet been announced.

July 17 2012 - waveguide.co.uk

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Rogue Traders Presenter Jailed

A presenter on the BBC show Rogue Traders has been jailed for 12 weeks for benefit fraud totalling more than £24,000.

Dan Penteado, 40, from Bournemouth, admitted eight offences of dishonestly or knowingly claiming housing and council tax benefits.

Bournemouth Magistrates' Court heard he failed to declare his BBC earnings.

He had been the motorbike-riding on-screen sidekick of Rogue Traders star Matt Allwright since 2001.

During a hearing in June, the prosecution said the offences went back to 2007 when Penteado filled out his first claim form and failed to declare he had another bank account.

The court heard he repeated the fraud in subsequent years up to 2011.

In that time Penteado failed to tell Bournemouth Borough Council he had been paid more than £56,000 for his work on Rogue Traders from 2008 to 2011.

He was paid a total of £24,077 in housing and council tax benefits.

His solicitor Terrence Scanlan told the court he committed the fraud from 2008 to 2012 because he was on a short-term contract with the BBC and made the "very poor judgment not to interrupt the flow of housing benefit".

The council brought the prosecution after a member of staff dealing with a benefits claim recognised the TV personality from a newspaper article.

Councillor David Smith, cabinet member for planning and environment, said: "The amount of money stolen in this case is truly shocking. We are pleased that Mr Penteado has now been successfully prosecuted and brought to justice.

"The council will not tolerate benefit fraud and will always take action to ensure public funds are protected from abuse and available to support the most vulnerable in society."

Passing sentence, chairman of the magistrate's board John Corben said it had not been a victimless crime and Penteado had "stolen from the public purse in a calculated way".

A BBC spokesperson said: "In light of the prosecution, Dan Penteado will not be returning to Rogue Traders."

July 17 2012 - waveguide.co.uk

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