Carol Thatcher: Why Can't the BBC Be Consistent?

Chris Moyles is Radio 1's star DJ. Two years ago he was involved, on air, in an incident which led to him being accused of racism. Halle Berry, no less, felt that he was indeed being racist. In December 2008 he faced another allegation, after he asserted that "Polish women make good prostitutes". On neither occasion did the BBC fire him, let alone discipline him or even make him apologise. On both occasions the BBC said he was "poking fun".

Today, despite issuing a full apology, Carol Thatcher was fired by the BBC - not disciplined, but fired - from the One Show, after she likened a tennis player's hair to that of a golliwog. It was a jokey remark made off air in the Green Room. And the tennis player concerned is allegedly the hideously white Andy Murray.

The logic of the BBC's argument is that the very mention of the word 'golliwog' is considered racist. Utterly preposterous.

Whatever Carol Thatcher said off air should not have been made public by the BBC. By firing her in this manner and allowing all this to enter the public domain, they have branded her a racist when she is patently nothing of the sort.

When dealing with the BBC, having the surname of Thatcher is not an advantage. However, if you are a fat, loudmouthed git with a surname of Moyles (or Ross, or Brand) you can get away with anything.

UPDATE: I will be on the Today Programme sometime after 8.30am discussing this with Amanda Platell.

UPDATE Wed 9.30: I am now reliably informed that the tennis player concerned was NOT Andy Murray.

Has Carol Thatcher Intruded on her Mother's Privacy?

I'm struggling to decide what to make of Carol Thatcher's book, serialised today in the Mail on Sunday. If my mother had dementia, would I be inclined to tell the world about it in this manner? Probably not, but then my mother is only an iconic figure within her own family, not all over the world.

The downside of making all this public is that the media will now obsess about the issue. Up till now, most newspapers and journalists have been quite respectful of Lady T's position and have been careful not to be prurient. I hope the publication of Carol's book will not change that, but I fear otherwise.

Dementia is a terrible disease. I've seen the effects it can have on partners and families. It's also a disease that people find embarrassing to confront and talk about. By being open about the fact he was suffering from it, when he wrote his famous letter to the American people, Ronald Reagan did a huge amount of good. Dementia charities were deluged with money to plough into medical research. If Carol's book has the same effect, it will have achieved a positive result.

But I can't sweep from my mind the thought that I wish she had kept her counsel. It's as if she has intruded on her mother's privacy.