The BBC has resorted to a big budget video to promote itself after 500,000 viewers stopped paying the TV licence fee. In a three minute long advert, the broadcaster seeks to tell Brits what the BBC has done for them.
Romesh Ranganathan is one of almost 100 stars taking part in the new promotional campaign, which sees the comedian visit the sets of a string of BBC shows, including The Traitors and EastEnders. It also features Doctor Who, despite the corporation putting the show out to tender.
Amid fierce debate over the licence fee and during a cost of living squeeze, the broadcaster’s promo asks viewers: “What has the BBC done for me?”
The question comes as BBC licence fee income has dropped by more than £1billion in real terms over the past decade.
In its 2026 annual report, the BBC revealed that TV licence numbers dropped by more than half a million in the 2025/26 financial year.
Chairman, Samir Shah, said on Wednesday (July 15) that the corporation’s funding model means it cannot maintain its public service mission.
New Director-General Matt Brittin has previously described the licence fee model as a “busted flush” which is “no longer fit for purpose”.
In the new promo, Ranganathan pushes back against critics of the BBC and reads figures saying money paid to the broadcaster generates more than £6.5billion for the economy.
The video kicks off with Ranganathan in EastEnders’ Queen Vic pub reading the front page of a paper which asks “Is the BBC really worth it?”.
A man can be seen playing the piano with his back turned to the camera before he is revealed to be Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, before a string of stars are rolled out, including Claudia Winkleman.
The campaign also highlights how the BBC delivers coverage of Wimbledon, “a love of nature” through shows such as Springwatch and even avoids advertisements.
Pushed onto a stage which turns out to be the Strictly dance-floor, he asks viewers one final time, “What has the BBC ever done for me?”, before judge Anton Du Beke appears and holds up a score paddle showing a 10 but is told to “bog off”.
Inspired by the 1986 BBC campaign featuring John Cleese, the new film reimagines the question for a generation 40 years later.
Wrapping up the ad, text on screen reads: “There’s a BBC for each of us. Funded by all of us.”
The ad fails to mention the huge salaries the BBC’s top stars get paid, with former BBC Radio 2 presenter Scott Mills paid between £745,000 and £749,999 for the year ending in March 2026.
BBC political journalist Laura Kuenssberg was the highest-paid female staff member with a salary of between £405,000 and £409,999, according to the broadcaster’s latest annual report.
In a statement released along with the ad, Ranganathan said the BBC isn’t without flaws, but he felt passionately it should continue as it “adds so much to our lives”.
In a blog post to accompany the campaign, the BBC’s Chief Customer Officer Kerris Bright wrote that the aim of the campaign was to “ensure the BBC gets credit for the fundamental impact it has on society, as well as the things it makes”.
She added the campaign came at an “important moment” ahead of the Government beginning the process of renewing the BBC’s Royal Charter and how the organisation should be funded.
Last month, the BBC announced plans for savings across its news, nations and content divisions, which is set to deliver £160million of £500m in savings needed by 2028/29.