BBC blowing up to £6m a year on Welsh language soap despite it pulling in pitiful 27,000 viewers an episode

THE BBC is blowing up to £6million a year on a Welsh-language soap that pulls in a pitiful 27,000 viewers an episode. Pobol y Cwm cost £10.1million when it was broadcast five nights a week. Pobol y Cwm used to be broadcast five nights a week – but was cut back to three episodes Credit: S4C The Welsh soap is costing the BBC up to £6million a year but only pulls in 27,000 viewers an episode Credit: S4C Now at three episodes, the S4C mainstay is still burning through licence-fee cash while fans revolt over “far-fetched” storylines. Overall the BBC spent £117million on Welsh programming last year, despite weekly viewership dropping below 50 per cent. Sign up for the TV newsletter Thank you! The BBC spent £171million on Scottish programming in 2025-2026, with £75million for shows broadcast there exclusively. But just 12 per cent of Scots watch BBC Scotland. In 2024, the channel dropped pricey news show The Nine after viewers fell to 1,700. Northern Ireland spending was £67million. Of that £31million went on local-only output, yet only a third tuned in weekly. The TaxPayers’ Alliance said: “The BBC should prove it can make programmes people actually want to watch.” The BBC said: “We are proud to reflect, represent and serve UK communities.” Comment now