EastEnders, Doctor Who, The Traitors and more feature in new BBC campaign: 'What has the BBC ever done for me?"

“What has the BBC ever done for me?”

That is the question at the heart of a new BBC campaign to highlight the national broadcaster’s reach and cultural footprint, inspired by the 1983 campaign of the same name starring John Cleese.

A new three-minute film from BBC Creative brings together 90 recognisable faces from BBC pop culture and is led by presenter Romesh Ranganathan.

The film also includes iconic locations such as the Queen Vic pub from EastEnders, presenters like Graham Norton and Claudia Winkleman, beloved TV characters such as David Jason as Del Trotter, Gillian Taylforth as Kathy Beale, and the Daleks from Doctor Who, to Hollywood royalty like Cate Blanchett.

Catch the video below.

The campaign comes at a crucial time for the broadcaster amid charter renewal discussions and debates around funding and its impact on the nation.

Those starring in the campaign include…

• Romesh Ranganathan
• Lolly Adefope (Ghosts)
• Jenny Agutter (Call the Midwife)
• Shabaz Ali (Are Billionaires Bad?)
• Shaquille Ali-Yebuah (Death in Paradise)
• Clare Balding (BBC Sport)
• Emma Barton (EastEnders)
• Pudsey Bear
• Cate Blanchett (actor)
• Remi Burgz (BBC Radio 1Xtra)
• Julian Caillon (Strictly Come Dancing)
• Peter Capaldi (actor)
• Alan Carr (The Celebrity Traitors)
• Kitty Castledine (EastEnders)
• Milo Clarke (Casualty)
• Abby Cook (Blue Peter)
• Pierre Counihan-Moullier (EastEnders)
• Sara Cox (BBC Radio 2)
• Andy Day (CBeebies)
• Katie Derham (BBC Radio 3)
• Harrison Devine (Race Across the World)
• Katie Devine (Race Across the World)
• Montell Douglas (Fire in Gladiators)
• Anton Du Beke (Strictly Come Dancing)
• Justin Fletcher (Mr Tumble, CBeebies)
• Anna Foster (BBC Radio 4)
• Catherine Garton (Death in Paradise)
• Helen George (Call The Midwife)
• Zack George (Steel in Gladiators)
• Don Gilet (Death in Paradise)
• Alex Gray (Apollo in Gladiators)
• Nick Grimshaw (BBC Radio 6 Music)
• Gloria Hunniford (Rip Off Britain)
• Gbemisola Ikumelo (Black Ops)
• Shantol Jackson (Death in Paradise)
• Greg James (BBC Radio 1)
• David Jason (Only Fools and Horses)
• Ashley Jensen (Shetland)
• Katya Jones (Strictly Come Dancing)
• Ruth Jones (Gavin & Stacey
• Nikita Kanda (BBC Asian Network)
• Vernon Kay (BBC Radio 2)
• Lauren Laverne (Desert Island Discs, BBC 6 Music)
• Elinor Lawless (Casualty)
• Charley Marlowe (I Kissed a Girl)
• Chris Martin (musician and lead singer with Coldplay)
• Chris McCausland (Strictly Come Dancing, BBC One)
• Sheli McCoy (Sabre in Gladiators)
• Feathers McGraw (Wallace and Gromit character)
• Paul Merton (Have I Got News for You)
• Laura Miller (Nations News presenter, Scotland)
• Tara Mills (Nations News presenter, Northern Ireland)
• Louise Minchin (Rip Off Britain)
• Jason Mohammad (BBC Sport)
• Laila Morse (EastEnders)
• Shini Muthukrishnan (Blue Peter)
• Clive Myrie (BBC News, Mastermind)
• Trevor Nelson (BBC Radio 2)
• James Nesbitt (actor)
• Graham Norton (The Graham Norton Show)
• Lucy Owen (Nations News presenter, Wales)
• Diane Parish (EastEnders)
• Sue Perkins (BBC Radio 4)
• Molly Rainford (Celebrity Race Across the World)
• Anita Rani (BBC Radio 4, Countryfile)
• Daisy Ridley (film actor)
• Olly Rix (Casualty)
• Nick Robinson (BBC Radio 4)
• Jack Saunders (BBC Radio 1)
• Tomasz Schafernaker (weather presenter)
• Jane Slaughter (EastEnders)
• Stacey Solomon (Sort Your Life Out)
• Julia Somerville (Rip Off Britain)
• Michaela Strachan (Springwatch)
• Gillian Taylforth (EastEnders)
• Louis Theroux (presenter)
• Aaron Thiara (EastEnders)
• Katie Thistleton (BBC Radio 1)
• Dr Xand van Tulleken (BBC Radio 4)
• Charles Venn (Casualty)
• Rudolph Walker (EastEnders)
• Alexis Warr (Strictly Come Dancing)
• Don Warrington (Death in Paradise)
• George Webster (CBeebies)
• Tyler West (Celebrity Race Across the World)
• Tom Wilson (Hammer in Gladiators)
• Julie Wilson Nimmo (Balamory, CBeebies)
• Claudia Winkleman (The Traitors)
• Adam Woodyatt (EastEnders)
• Nancy Xu (Strictly Come Dancing)

Kerris Bright, Chief Customer Officer, BBC, has written a blog about the film and noted: “And whilst we want to highlight the valuable range and breadth of our output, we also want to remind people of the profound impact we have on individuals (who we seek to inform, educate and entertain every day) as well as society as a whole.

“For example, in 2024/25, the BBC contributed £6.7 billion to the UK economy and supported more than 79,000 jobs. For every £1 the BBC spends, £3.49 is generated across the wider economy.

“As the UK’s largest single investor in original content, we help support creative businesses, freelancers and production talent across every nation and region of the UK.

“These contributions aren’t often talked about with audiences, yet we know that when they are heard, they have a significant impact on positive perceptions of the BBC.

“With this campaign, then, we want to ensure the BBC gets credit for the fundamental impact it has on society, as well as the things it makes.”

The film will be shown on BBC One and iPlayer on Sunday 19 July 2026 during the World Cup Final.

Read more:

• Simon Schama: “Someone should be shouting out loud about how great the BBC is”
• Emily Maitlis: “I don’t see what protection a charter really gives the BBC”
• I used to be BBC One controller and these are 10 things the BBC must now do to survive

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