'Question Time' audience selection

Just for the record - and in case you've never seen it before - this is the online application form you have to fill in if you want to join the Question Time studio audience. I've copied-and-pasted it exactly as it appeared when I first clicked on it (in other words, the boxes with entries already filled in are default settings).

As you can see,  they get to know a lot of background about you in advance (if you fill it in honestly, of course):

Thank you for your interest in taking part in Question Time.

• If you would like to join the Question Time audience, please complete this form

We will be contacting applicants on the Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday before the programme. Due to the high volume of requests received we apologise that we are unable to call everyone.

If you hear nothing from us please assume that on this occasion your application has not been successful.

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PLEASE NOTE: The audience is at the heart of Question Time so we are looking for people who want to ask questions and argue with our panellists rather than just observe. If chosen to attend you will be asked to put forward two questions, one by email and a further question on arrival at the venue.

Join the Question Time audience

We contact applicants on the Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday before the programme.

Due to the high volume of requests received we apologise that we are unable to call everyone. If you hear nothing from us please assume that on this occasion your application has not been successful.

The audience is a key factor in the programme and moves the debates forward; if called you will be asked what topics that you would like to discuss and subsequently to provide two questions.

Please note that everyone applying to be part of the studio audience is required to complete this form. The information is completely confidential and only used for the purpose of balance.

*indicates mandatory fields

*Full name

*Your address, including postcode

*Daytime phone number

Evening phone number

Mobile phone number

*Email address

*Have you been on Question Time before?

• Yes
• No

If yes, when?

*For which programme location are you applying?Watford (08 January)Lincoln (15 January)Eastleigh (22 January)Wrexham (29 January)Finchley (05 February)Norwich (12 February)

*Which is the FIRST topical issue you would like to discuss?

*Which is the SECOND topical issue you would like to discuss?

*How old are you?

• 16-24
• 25-34
• 35-44
• 45-54
• 55-64
• 65+

*What is your gender?

• Male
• Female

*What is your occupation? (If retired what was your profession before retirement?)

*To which ethnic group do you belong?WhiteAfrican-CaribbeanIndianPakistaniChineseAfricanMixed originNone of the above

If none of the above, please specify

*Do you consider yourself to have any disabilities?

• Yes
• No

If disabled, do you require wheelchair access?

• Yes
• No

*If there were a General Election tomorrow, for which political party would you be most likely to vote?ConservativeLabourLiberal DemocratsGreenScottish NationalPlaid CymruUlster UnionistDemocratic UnionistSinn FeinSocial Democrat and LabourAllianceUKIPWould not voteUndecidedOther

If 'other', please state

How did you vote at the last General Election?

Are you a member of a political party?

• Yes
• No

If you are a member, do you take an active role?

• Yes
• No

Are you active in any campaign groups?

• Yes
• No

If yes, what is the campaign?

We contact applicants individually. If any of your friends or family are applying with you, please supply their names and telephone numbers so that we may contact them to discuss their applications.

*This information will be collected by the BBC and shared with Mentorn producers of Question Time. Are you happy for your details to be retained for up to 4 years so that we may contact you about appearing in the audience of other BBC programmes?

• Yes
• No

In its FAQs section (written in 2005), the BBC's then Deputy Head of Political Programme Ric Bailey (now the corporations Chief Political Advisor, gave further background detail - including the admission that they sometimes "contact local groups to encourage their members to apply to be in the audience".

How does Question Time select its audiences?

The short answer is: with great care.

People apply through a phone number given on the programme or via the website.

They are then questioned about their views, voting intentions, background etc, in much the same way as an opinion poll.

From that, the producers select a broad and balanced cross-section.

If, from those applying in a particular area, they feel any group or view is under-represented, they will - occasionally - contact local groups to encourage their members to apply to be in the audience.