Frank Skinner discloses the single ‘mistake’ that caused the cancellation of his hit show Room 101: ‘We were decommissioned shortly after’

Frank Skinner has revealed why the BBC chose to axe his hit panel show Room 101 after 18 series and 24 years in 2018.

The 67-year-old comedian, whose real name is Christopher Collins, said he ‘made the mistake’ of asking the BBC’s chief content officer, Charlotte Moore, a fateful question in the lead up to the show being decommissioned.

Room 101 got its name from the torture room full of one’s worst fears in George Orwell’s 1984, and the TV equivalent – originally made for radio – saw celebs cast their biggest pet peeves into the vault for all eternity.

Speaking to the Radio Times, Frank said: ‘I made the mistake of asking Charlotte Moore at a meeting what she’d personally put into Room 101, given the choice, and shortly after that we were decommissioned.’

However, the show has not been lost forever as it returned in audio form last year with Paul Merton returning to front the BBC Radio 4 programme which he hosted on television from 1999 to 2007.

Frank Skinner has revealed the reason why the BBC chose to axe his hit panel show Room 101 after 18 series and 24 years in 2018

He said: ‘I made the mistake of asking Charlotte Moore [chief content officer at the BBC] at a meeting what she’d personally put into Room 101, given the choice, and shortly after that we were decommissioned’

It would appear that the powers that be at the BBC had Room 101 itself in their crosshairs, but its former face has not taken it to heart.

The Three Lions writer and performer emphatically told the Daily Star following the 2018 axing: ‘Who the f*** cares?

‘Room 101 is dead. But I’m all right fiscally. I’ve done seven series. I don’t feel that I have been washed up on the shores of stand-up.’

And Frank still made quite the impression on the entertainment industry, being awarded an MBE for services to entertainment in the 2023 New Year’s honours.

That followed the death of his former Absolute Radio co-host Gareth Richards, who died aged just 41 following a car crash.

Witty as ever on receiving his gong, Frank joked that there may have been an ‘administrative error’.

‘I deal mainly in laughs and applause and they disappear into the air quite quickly,’ he said.

‘So getting a proper medal that you can hold on to and polish regularly feels it has given my career a sense of permanence that I like.’ 

Room 101 has had one series back on the airwaves – where it spent four series from 1992 before being moved on-screen. 

Merton was joined by the likes of Claudia Winkleman, Julian Clary and Steph McGovern in the six-part renaissance.