BBC under fire for hosting antisemitic pro-Iran influencer who celebrated Oct. 7 invasion

BBC faces backlash for hosting influencer who insulted Jews, lauded the October 7 invasion and promoted the Iranian regime.

By World Israel News Staff

The BBC is facing criticism from Jewish organizations and a former senior executive after inviting a British influencer with a history of antisemitic remarks and support for Iran’s Islamist regime onto one of its flagship television programs.

Bushra Shaikh, a former contestant on “The Apprentice,” appeared on BBC One‘s “Sunday Morning Live”  to discuss whether women should be permitted to wear full-face coverings in public.

The appearance sparked a backlash over Shaikh’s previous social media statements, including remarks celebrating the October 7, 2023, Hamas massacre in Israel and abusive comments about Jews who immigrated to the Jewish state.

Hours after Hamas terrorists invaded southern Israel, Shaikh wrote on social media that Palestinians had accomplished more in minutes than Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had achieved with billions of dollars in Western assistance.

“Humiliation is an understatement,” she added.

In another post, she described Jews who had emigrated from Europe to Israel as “a bunch of lying scumbags” and accused them of being dishonest.

In October 2024, shortly after the first anniversary of the massacre, Shaikh called for Israel’s replacement with a Palestinian state and demanded that Jews return to Europe.

Following the deadly terrorist attack on a Manchester synagogue in October 2025, she blamed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the murders, accusing him of having Jewish blood on his hands.

Just hours after her BBC appearance, Shaikh again defended Tehran, arguing that Israel posed a greater danger to Western countries than Iran.

Her participation in the television program also drew attention to her connections with the Iranian regime.

An investigation published in May by Iranian fact-checking organization Factnameh found that Shaikh participated in two media tours organized by Iran’s state broadcasting apparatus earlier this year.

During the visits, she met high-ranking Iranian officials, including the governor of Isfahan and a foreign ministry spokesperson, and received access to locations generally restricted to foreign visitors.

Factnameh reported that she played a “highly active role in reproducing the government’s narrative” while presenting Iran to her social media audience.

The investigation also found that approximately one-fifth of her more than 4,000 social media posts over a year concerned Iran, generating millions of interactions.

Shaikh denied that Iran’s government has engaged in widespread repression, portraying the regime in a favorable light.

She also defended restrictions on internet access during unrest, presenting them as security measures rather than government suppression.

Alex Hearn, representing Labour Against Antisemitism, condemned the broadcaster for giving Shaikh airtime despite her public record.

He questioned why a publicly funded broadcaster would provide a platform to someone who had allegedly promoted antisemitic views and defended Iran’s rulers, calling the decision “sickening.”

Danny Cohen, a former director of BBC Television, also criticized the invitation, arguing that it reflected a wider failure by the corporation to address concerns among British Jews.

“It is appalling that the BBC invited Bushra Shaikh,” Cohen said, warning that the continued appearance of commentators accused of anti-Jewish racism was damaging trust in the broadcaster.

Gio Esfandeyari, an Iranian dissident associated with the Ban IRGC campaign, demanded an investigation into the BBC’s vetting procedures and questioned whether producers had adequately researched Shaikh’s background before inviting her.

The Campaign Against Antisemitism likewise condemned the appearance, suggesting that the BBC would be unlikely to extend similar treatment to someone accused of making comparable statements about another minority.

The organization renewed its demand for the suspension of the BBC license fee pending an independent investigation into the broadcaster’s coverage of Jewish issues.

Responding to the controversy, a BBC spokesperson defended the decision to invite Shaikh, explaining that she had appeared as a commentator in a debate about whether full-face coverings should be prohibited in public.

“Any personal views expressed are her own and not those of the BBC,” the spokesperson said.