The BBC has confirmed that it will air a special episode of Question Time on Friday 26 June, shaking up the BBC One schedule for that evening.
The Question Time special follows Sir Keir Starmer’s announcement on Monday 22 June that he will resign as leader of the Labour Party and Prime Minister of the UK.
He will stay in the job until a replacement is confirmed, whether this be on 16 July when nominations for the leadership election close, if there is only one candidate, or in September, when Parliament is returned and a competition would have been allowed to run its course.
The Question Time special will air at 8pm on Friday 26 June, ahead of a Death in Paradise repeat at 9pm. BBC One had been set to air a repeat of Sort Your Life Out with Stacey Solomon at 8pm on Friday, but this has now been dropped from the schedule.
The description for the special episode of Question Time says: “Fiona Bruce presents a special programme in the wake of Sir Keir Starmer’s resignation announcement.
“With Andy Burnham now back at Westminster and the favourite to become the next prime minister, a panel of politicians and commentators will field questions from our audience in Kettering about what all of this could mean for the country.”
Question Time is no stranger to hosting special episodes and format changes. Last month, the programme aired an AI special which began with a twist, showing an imagined AI panel made up of Mahatma Gandhi, Frida Kahlo, Che Guevara and Emmeline Pankhurst.
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The BBC said at the time that the imagined line-up was intended to help audiences understand how “hyper-real and persuasive” AI-created images can be, and how they can blur the line between reality and fakery.
The BBC’s schedule was also moved around on Monday following Starmer’s announcement, with EastEnders being moved to BBC Two that day.
Question Time will air on BBC One at 8pm on Friday 26 June.
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Authors
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
