Richard Bacon says cocaine scandal would be ‘more frightening’ today in social media age

Former presenter was fired from Blue Peter in 1998

Former Blue Peter presenter Richard Bacon has said his experience of being sacked from the children’s show would have been very different had it been in the age of social media.

Bacon was forced to hand in his Blue Peter badge in 1998 after admitting to taking cocaine and losing his job.

His career rebounded and he is now a TV producer based in Los Angeles.

Former BBC radio host Bacon, 45, said the experience of being sacked from such a high-profile job would be “more frightening” if it played out on social media.

He told The Sun: “I want to make a show where we pick a handful of people who were cancelled and debate whether it was right or wrong.

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“Cancel culture is about rushing to judgment. I’d love us all to slow down, go, ‘Stop, let’s think about this. Does this person really deserve never to have a career?’

Bacon continued: “My experience on Blue Peter would have been very different if social media had been around. The intensity of the storm is even more fierce and more frightening now. If you’re caught up in a massive scandal there are probably tens of thousands of tweets about you.”

Bacon’s latest TV creation is the BBC One game show This Is My House, hosted by Strictly Come Dancing winner and documentarian Stacey Dooley.

Additional reporting by PA