Kilroy (TV series)

Kilroy was a BBC One daytime chat show hosted by Robert Kilroy-Silk that began on 24 November 1986 and finished on 29 January 2004 after 17 years. Originally called Day to Day, the programme was renamed to Kilroy in September 1987.

Kilroy
GenreChat Show
StarringRobert Kilroy-Silk
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
Production
Running time60 minutes
Original release
NetworkBBC One
Release24 November 1986 (1986-11-24) –
29 January 2004 (2004-01-29)

The format featured the host moving among an audience made up of experts and members of the public, speaking to them one by one on a different topical or moral issue per episode.

Series
SeriesStart dateEnd dateEpisodes
124 November 1986
212 October 1987
317 October 1988
416 October 1989
515 October 1990
614 October 1991
712 October 1992
811 October 1993
919 September 1994
1016 October 1995
112 September 1996
121 September 1997
137 September 1998
146 September 1999
154 September 2000
163 September 2001
172 September 2002
181 September 2003

Controversy and cancellation

The show was taken off the air in 2004 after Kilroy made allegedly racist remarks. Kilroy questioned what contribution Arabs have made to civilisation beyond oil.[1] He stated other views that made matters worse. He ridiculed Scots, the Irish, the Iraqis, Black people, Pakistanis, the French and Germans.[2] The Commission for Racial Equality reported him to the police.[3]

The BBC cancelled the show, stating that his views were a threat to the network's impartiality. Kilroy claimed afterwards on the BBC's Question Time that he had been under a six-month investigation when this happened. He stated that his show was cancelled because he was anti-religion, rather than racist.[4] However panelist Shappi Khorsandi claimed that his views were about Arabs as a people rather than their religion. Kilroy had previously claimed to have apologised in 2004. It was rejected primarily because Kilroy himself twisted his words. Iqbal Sacranie (secretary-general of the Muslim Council of Britain) claimed that Kilroy had not retracted his views but skimmed over the apology and changed a few words.[5]

The programme was replaced by Now You're Talking!, which followed a similar format and was presented by Nicky Campbell and Nadia Sawalha. The show was also produced by Kilroy-Silk's production company.[6]

References
  1. "BBC halts Kilroy for race 'rant'". BBC. Retrieved 10 March 2012.
  2. Owen Gibson (9 January 2004). "BBC pulls Kilroy-Silk show after anti-Arab comments". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 February 2015.
  3. "Kilroy apology 'not good enough'". BBC. Retrieved 10 March 2012.
  4. "The Saturday Profile: Robert Kilroy-Silk; the self-styled saviour of Britain". The Independent. Retrieved 28 February 2015.
  5. "Kilroy Silk loses his cool at 00.58". YouTube. 17 November 2006. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 28 February 2015.
  6. "BBC - Press Office - Now You're Talking!". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 28 February 2015.


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