Over at the Guardian, they’ve got their hands on a leaked memo and on it is the most mystifying list. A leaked document features a list of people who work for Auntie and with their names, is a mark of how well-thought of the broadcaster thinks they’re perceived. Naturally, this is all a bit misleading as this seemingly is the view of one person, rather than the BBC as a whole, but it still makes for interesting (if puzzling) reading.

Godlike TV chef Delia Smith, along with Michael Palin and Robert Winston have been branded as people with “occasional sparkle (but limited appeal)”. That’d be the mother of all TV cookery and a former Python who is positively a national treasure. To put it in context, these people found themselves next to food critic Giles Coren and the newsreader Sophie Raworth.

Who?

This unfortunate lot fall behind a top tier (‘highly valued’) who include Stephen Fry, Jeremy Paxman and Jeremy Clarkson. Fair enough you might think. However, also in that top flight are Jimmy Doherty and Charlie Brooker. While I love Brooker, to put him ahead of a Python seems ludicrous. I’m sure he’d agree. And Jimmy Doherty? Well… he’s nearly a non-entity.

There’s also a list revolving around “On the Way up (worth investment)” which features Mark Kermode, Duncan Bannatyne and Sue Perkins.

In the “Mid range (average appeal)” list you have the incredibly bland Dan Snow, Ray Mears, Evan Davis and Charley Boorman… alongside ace stalwarts like Raymond Blanc, Paul Merton and Ian Hislop

It doesn’t make a blind bit of sense does it?

The 54-name list is believed to have been written by an executive at BBC Knowledge, the department responsible for documentaries and factual programmes.

The BBC have come out and stated that this list shouldn’t be taken seriously and that it is not to be recognised as an official corporation document.

“The notion that the BBC, at the same time as placing her in the heart of our Christmas schedule and broadcasting a brand new series with her next year, considers Delia Smith as an artist of limited appeal is self evidently ludicrous,” the BBC said in a statement. It added: “The artists named are highly valued presenters, and viewers will recognise that they appear regularly across our channels. Our schedules make it abundantly clear how important these presenters are to the BBC.”

For all we know, this leaked memo could be no more than an idle doodling on a scrap of paper by a bored person whittling away an afternoon when they simply couldn’t be arsed to do any work.

The ratings are as follows:

Top tier (highly valued): Alan Yentob, Griff Rhys Jones, Stephen Fry, Hairy Bikers, Nigella Lawson, Rick Stein, Kate Humble, Jimmy Doherty, Richard Hammond, Charlie Brooker, Andrew Marr, Simon Schama, Jeremy Paxman, Jeremy Clarkson

Mid range (average appeal): Dan Cruickshank, Dan Snow, Alan Titchmarsh, Melvyn Bragg, Ray Mears, Rob Brydon, Theo Paphitis, Lauren Laverne, Evan Davis, Raymond Blanc, Charley Boorman, Emily Maitlis, Paul Merton, Ian Hislop

On the way up (worth investment): Mark Kermode, Chris Packham, Duncan Bannatyne, Levi Roots, Neil Oliver, Sophie Dahl, Sue Perkins

Occasional sparkle (but limited appeal): Delia Smith, Robert Winston, Giles Coren, Michael Palin, Sophie Raworth