David Tennant says BBC is "still a kitemark for quality" and should be "cherished"

Tennant’s comments come after the BBC warned in its annual plan for 2025/26 back in March that it faces an "unprecedented content funding challenge" in general across the next year.

The report noted that a major contributing factor is that "co-production partnerships with global streamers and media companies have reduced across the sector".

The corporation added that "without intervention, it will be difficult to maintain the current ambition and volume of UK content” and noted that its content spend for the coming 12 months will drop by £150 million.

"However, this figure fluctuates and is often dependent on big, non-annual sporting events, none of which are slated for the next year."

Elsewhere during the conversation, Tennant said he was "terrified" by the rise of AI and said it was "horribly inevitable" that the technology would threaten jobs in the creative industry.

He also said he’s becoming more fearful of expressing his opinions on culture war issues.

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"When you have any kind of public profile, there is an interest in them [your opinions], when you can’t censor yourself," he said.

He continued: "But it’s hard when opinions that used to feel quite safe are being challenged ever more vociferously by changes in the culture.

"It’s difficult not to censor yourself when speaking your truth can feel quite spicy."

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