The question of the BBC’s legitimacy as a tax-funded, public broadcasting service has been frequently asked over the past few years, especially by this government. Of course, there is nothing wrong with this, considering that it is us, the British people, who pay for it. Yet, I think the government has got it wrong regarding their treatment of the BBC, with worrying implications. On 18th January, Nadine Dorries, Culture Secretary, announced that the BBC’s licence fee will be frozen over the next two years – meaning it will not rise with inflation. With inflation at a 6 year high of 6% or more, this leaves a £285 million funding gap for the BBC, which is huge. Her argument was that the raise in licence fee could not be justified due to the cost-of-living crisis, yet the government’s rhetoric (which should not be underestimated in importance) also very much portrays a distaste for this sacred institution.

‘You are a woman with a man inside watching a woman’. That’s it. That’s the article. No, I’m only joking – unfortunately I’m going to elaborate on what Margaret Atwood said so well. Whether you like it or not, we’re going to begin by taking a trip down memory lane – back to lockdown number 1! Many strange things happened during this time, in particular the three categories people seemed to inevitably fall into…

Prince Andrew first addressed his dealings with Jeffrey Epstein in a BBC Newsnight interview with Emily Maitlis, famously using the alibi of being at a Pizza Express party in Woking instead of London’s Tramp nightclub – far from the likes of the reprehensible night he was allegedly having with Virginia Giuffre, who accused the Royal of sexual assault.

At the time of writing (Wednesday 19th January), it seems to me that Johnson’s position as Prime Minister is hanging precariously in the balance. For the past few weeks, he and his Conservative Party have been facing growing outrage regarding ‘partygate’ – a series of allegations about parties attended by Conservative ministers during the 2020 Summer and Winter lockdowns. An inquiry, headed by Sue Gray, a high-ranking civil servant, is due to come out next week, which will shed some light onto the inner goings on of Downing Street during this period. Yet, it is only as of the past few days that I have begun to take seriously the potential prospect of Johnson’s removal as PM of this country.

ince the start of the pandemic, my family have begun refusing to watch period TV with me. They say they are sick of my complaints about historical inaccuracies in set design and mannerisms, but mostly, my constant criticisms of women’s costumes. For several years now, fashion history has been something of a pet interest of mine, I don’t think I flatter myself too greatly when I say I know a fair bit about it by now. That said, sometimes I feel that all I’ve gained from hours and hours of independent research is an inability to enjoy anything historical without judging and, consequently, being put off by shoddy costumes.