BBC Radio 2 presenter and This Morning star Rylan Clark launched into a rant after jokingly daring the BBC to “sack” him for breaking one of its rules
Rylan Clark has hit out at a BBC rule that discourages presenters from mentioning brand names on air. The Radio 2 host expressed frustrations after his co-star Sally Boazman reminded him of the broadcaster’s advertising guidelines.
The exchange unfolded as the pair discussed Sally’s disastrous week, during which she mentioned being near “a famous supermarket”, prompting the 37-year-old to ask which one she meant.
“What one? I don’t care,” he said. When Sally claimed that the name “just had letters in it”, Rylan quickly identified it as M&S.
“I’m glad you said it,” Sally replied, insisting that she was concerned about breaking the rules. “You’re not supposed to do that, [you’re meant to say] ‘Other supermarkets are available’,” she pointed out.
But Rylan was having none of it, launching into a humorous rant about the BBC’s approach to brand mentions.
He said: “People know! People know there are other supermarkets available, I don’t work for M&S, I’m not flogging M&S, I’ve not had an affair with Percy Pig, people know! And it’s getting to me now, it’s like, ‘Other chocolates are available’ people know, they can see them!”.
Sally then suggested their boss would not be impressed, saying Rylan had yet to “get the text from” their manager, who she claimed would tell him, ‘I’ve told you many times’.
“I’m sure I will now,” Rylan replied. She went on to remind him: “Do not mention brand names.”
The BBC is publicly funded and does not carry conventional advertising on its UK public-service channels. Its editorial guidelines aim to prevent brands from receiving undue prominence or programmes from appearing to promote products for commercial reasons.
Mentions of “other” brands or items being available is often used by broadcasters to make clear that a particular retailer or product does not amount to an endorsement.
The discussion then moved on to a light-hearted exchange about the pair’s supposedly “unprofessional” approach to their work.
After Sally muddled her paperwork while reading the travel news, she asked: “I’m very unprofessional aren’t I?”
“So am I but I don’t care, we’re still here,” Rylan replied. “Only just, I’m hanging on by a thread at the moment,” Sally joked.
Rylan then quipped: “Where’s them scissors?”, prompting his co-star to ask how she could “get off” the show.
“Go, literally just go!” he told her. It’s not the first time Rylan has taken aim at the BBC’s advertising rules.
Earlier this month, the presenter jokingly urged the broadcaster to “sack” him after it was pointed out that he had apparently broken the rule again while chatting with Professor Green.
He later joked that, if he were fired, he could sell an expensive watch to fund his retirement, before claiming it was actually “fake from the market”.
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