The BBC is turning consumer affairs show Watchdog into a regular segment on The One Show, it has announced.
Watchdog, which has been running for 40 years, will continue to be presented by Matt Allwright and Nikki Fox when it shifts to a slot within the half-hour nightly magazine-style show in the spring.
The BBC has said the move, which keeps Watchdog on BBC One, will mean viewers can contact the investigations team throughout the year, making it “even more responsive to consumer complaints”.
Currently Watchdog airs for a limited series twice a year.
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“It’s fitting that in its anniversary year we are able to open up the potential for viewers to connect with the brand through The One Show,” said BBC head of daytime Carla-Maria Lawson.
The BBC said Watchdog will continue to “investigate and expose the companies, institutions and fraudsters who’re ripping viewers off”.
Watchdog originally started as a weekly feature on BBC One’s news magazine programme Nationwide before it became a standalone series in 1985. It has now aired more than 1,000 episodes.
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The programme was presented by journalist Anne Robinson for 15 years.
Steph McGovern, who also presents the series, has moved to Channel 4.
A BBC source told PA that Watchdog is “expected to be a weekly fixture within The One Show not just twice a year so better for consumers to have year-round presence to react to their issues”.
It is understood that no jobs have been lost as a result of the changes.
The One Show editor Rob Unsworth said: “Bringing the quality, investigative journalism of the much-loved and trusted Watchdog brand to viewers year-round is an exciting move and a great opportunity for The One Show – and means that more than ever the team can react on behalf of consumers whenever stories come up.”
The move comes after the BBC announced it was axing Victoria Derbyshire’s daily current affairs BBC Two programme because of cost-saving.
Up to 450 jobs are being cut at BBC News under a major restructure that will reduce its output and size as it aims to save £80m by 2022.
Picture: BBC
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