The BBC has released a new musical advert fronted by Romesh Ranganathan, updating John Cleese's famous 1985 licence fee campaign as the corporation steps up its case for charter renewal. The original saw Cleese complain in a pub about the cost of his TV licence before a string of celebrities set him straight; the new version, directed by Dougal Wilson, follows the same premise but expands it into a song-and-dance tour of BBC output featuring around 90 famous faces, from Chris Martin and Claudia Winkleman to Cate Blanchett and Hey Duggee.

The advert lands as the BBC faces what director general Matt Brittin has called "a moment of real jeopardy", with licence fee payments falling faster than expected and half a million more households opting out over the past year amid competition from YouTube, TikTok and streaming services. Near the end, Louis Theroux tells Ranganathan backstage at Strictly Come Dancing that "none of this has to exist" while gesturing at an on/off switch marked BBC. The film premiered during the World Cup final and launched on social media on Sunday, drawing a mixed response, with the Telegraph calling the programme selection "notably middlebrow" and the Times dismissing it as a rehash of an old idea.