Later today, the BBC are to make a statement about the future of former Blue Peter editor Richard Marson and up to 25 other staff who were (allegedly) involved in viewer deception. The statement is expected to be the BBC’s first official response to the Guardian‘s revelation yesterday that children’s show Blue Peter was involved in a second incident of viewer deception when a poll to name its new cat was disregarded. The swines!

This news follows on from the faking of a Blue Peter competition winner, which led to the BBC being fined £50,000 by Ofcom. Apparently, Marson was sent home on Monday after it emerged that the name that topped a Blue Peter poll was not given to the show’s cat. The name that came top is thought to have been deemed inappropriate for a children’s show and the cat was eventually called Socks. I imagine I’m not alone in wondering what the bloody hell the kids of the UK came up with. (insert Socks, Videotape and Lies pun here)

Marson isn’t the only one in trouble either. BBC6 Music producer Leona McCambridge was sacked yesterday for alleged misconduct after being blamed for the use of researchers posing as competition winners on the Liz Kershaw show. This morning, it was reported that up to 25 BBC staff will be dismissed or disciplined following the latest internal inquiry into fakery.

The latest revelations follow the BBC’s admission in July that contests had been faked in six BBC shows including telethons Children in Need and Sport Relief. The BBC deputy director general, Mark Byford, confirmed then that three staff had been suspended following the revelations. These included a producer on kids show TMI and a producer who worked on Children In Need at BBC Scotland. As a result of the furore, the BBC suspended all phone contests in July.