How did THIS happen?

The news that Chris Mason is to the next permanent presenter of Any Questions? has gone down pretty well. 

Understandably so. He's a likable chap. 

Gary Oliver at The Conservative Woman is still surprised though:

[Chris Mason] is a mildly irreverent, self-deprecating and congenial character, as well as being an experienced and highly competent political broadcaster. However . . . Yorkshire-born Mason has a peely-wally complexion and white privilege enabled him to attend a high-performing grammar school followed by Cambridge University. For the past 39 years Mason’s preferred pronouns have been he/his/him and this unapologetic patriarch appears unwilling to join the inordinate number of BBC employees who identify as transgender. The cisgender man is married – but to a woman, for heaven’s sake!  

Yet despite ticking none of the Corporation’s crucial boxes, somehow Chris Mason has landed the prestigious role as host of Any Questions? How on earth did the BBC’s diversity auditors approve the appointment of this white-privileged, heteronormative man?

*******

Meanwhile Roger Bolton interviewed Chris Mason on Feedback and asked him if he was also going to be presenting Any Answers? - as Jonathan Dimblebly did in his early years - but, alas, he's not.

So, folks, it looks as if we're stuck with 'The Anita Anand Show' for the forseeable future.