At this year's British Comedy Awards Jonathan Ross joked that "A comedy award is that rarest of things…like a woman on 'Mock The Week'" and in the latest series of 'Have I Got News for You' Ian Hislop couldn't help pointing out an all male panel one week. But it appears that the BBC are aiming to make all male panel shows a rare thing. According to 'Broadcast': "The BBC has told producers there is “no excuse” for not having women on comedy panel shows as it looks to hit new gender representation objectives set by the BBC Trust."
Recently two BBC programmes, 'Mock the Week' and 'QI' came under fire in a document commisioned for the Cultural Diversity Network in 2012 for rarely featuring more than one woman, if at all. It seems this has not gone unnoticed by BBC executive Mark Linsey who commented: "Comedy panel shows are always better for having a good mix of people and of course that must include women. I'm making it clear to production teams that there's just no excuse for delivering all male guest lists."
Of course we love a well balanced comedy panel show. Recently we have spotted 2008 Funny Women Awards winner Katherine Ryan and Jennifer Saunders on 'Have I Got News for You'. Our 2004 Funny Women Awards winner Zoe Lyons has braved 'Mock the Week' and we always enjoy when Josie Long is on any panel show, as well as Susan Calman – a regular on BBC Radio 4's The News Quiz.
We look forward to a new year full of female guests on comedy panel shows!
Pictured: Janet Street-Porter, Alan Davies, Stephen Fry, Johnny Vegas and Sandi Toksvig balance out BBC show QI
