Viewers and listeners of the BBC’s programmes have labelled the broadcaster as ‘desperate’ due to its excessive coverage of Taylor Swift since her latest album was released last month

BBC viewers have slammed the broadcaster over its air time devoted to Taylor Swift.

It comes after the pop superstar released her 11th album, The Tortured Poets Department, last month to critical acclaim. After it soared instantly to No1, the media has been lapping all things Taylor, not least the Beeb who have been keen to make the most of the hit record themselves.

It has prompted a backlash from the public, however, who have accused the BBC of being “desperate” to attract a younger audience. Stories have included how the Fortnight singer is relatable to Ancient Greek poets, how a London pub was “overwhelmed” at being referenced in one of her new tracks, and how teachers are using Taylor to help them in schools.

Last week the 34-year-old was even the subject of a BBC Radio 4’s Thought of the Day on its Today Programme, meanwhile.

The BBC has been labelled ‘desperate’ due to its amount of Taylor Swift coverage (Image: SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Earlier this week, one viewer contacted BBC’s Newswatch to complain about the amount of coverage Taylor is receiving. “I’m not sure I’ve ever heard any other musician or artist talked about on so many channels,” the viewer cursed.

“It seemed a major item on the news coverage on BBC One TV, several times a day for several days and it was just, ‘Not again!’. I couldn’t believe the level of coverage, really the BBC should be paid for marketing her. Are they desperately trying to get young people to watch?”

Taylor has even been on a topic of discussion on BBC Radio 4 (Image: Getty Images for TAS Rights Management)
Another asked Newswatch: “Why is Taylor Swift the only music artist to get any coverage on BBC News? I can’t remember any music getting the air time like she does. Bon Jovi had a premiere last week and you didn’t mention it once.”

BBC viewers were equally as critical on X (formerly Twitter), with many users slating the corporation. “The extent to which BBC News articles are dumbing down is so apparent after merely five mins browsing my feed,” said one user. “Please leave all the Taylor Swift stuff to others.”

And a second penned: “I’ve nothing against Taylor Swift, but when do we stop being bombarded with articles about her and her new album? Not just on social media but sites like BBC News – it’s obsessive.”

The Beeb has hit back, claiming it aims to cater for ‘all its audiences’ (Image: Getty Images for TAS Rights Management)
The complaints prompted the BBC to hit back, claiming it aims to cater for “all its audiences”. A statement read: “Taylor Swift is a significant figure in popular culture, and we know our audiences, younger audiences especially, are interested in her work… As such we feel it is right to include reports about her new album and the reaction to it as part of our overall culture coverage.

“We appreciate that not everyone will feel the same, and we do consider all our audiences when choosing which stories to cover.”

Last year, Gannett – the biggest newspaper chain in the US – employed a Taylor Swift correspondent devoted solely to news of the songstress, in the first appointment of its kind.

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