Question Time

[Svejk]

Does anyone know how the BBC 'fix' the audience?
The reason I ask is that Harriet Harperson only had to cough to get a standing ovation. Yet Dimblebum had to ask 3 times before he could find 2 people who agreed with the UKIP guy.
Oh, and this was in Clacton.

[factor-fiction]

If you want to be in the audience you have to fill in some form of questionnaire and the BBC then choose you based on that. I think the programme makers probably want to have some people with strong views

[Zeuhl]

Even though the producers aim for a broad mix of views in the audience, it doesn't mean that audience members will be equally as demonstrative.

Maybe Labour supporters are more gobby than UKIP voters?


I think you scuppered your own suggestion of fixing in your question: there is no benefit to the programme if Dimbleby can't provoke an exchange of views either in the panel or the audience

Evidence: he did eventually get voices of UKIP support - so they WERE there
But he had to ask 3 times for them to speak up

[andy-hughes]

The audience are chosen on the strength and relavence of the two questions they submit for consideration - the present Mrs Hughes and I have both appeared and spoken, although our Questions were not selected for use in the recording itself.