It really is astonishing, once you learn to listen for it. The Toady programme nowadays is absolutely loaded with empty twaddle: sappy studio banter; would-be witty out-tros that undermine an item's seriousness; cloying expressions of respect and admiration for approved guests; obtrusive outpourings of gratitude to correspondents; glowing references to other BBC staff; celebrations of every kind of BBC product, past or present; repeated trails for other BBC programmes... It's actually bloody outrageous, when viewed in total. Someone should edit one show's padding into a continuous stream: I reckon it would top 15 minutes of pure shit every weekday. Obviously, a lot of it is planned and scripted; but as far as the 'Oh, just listen to our rapport!' stuff is concerned, the worst offenders -- as in so many other areas! -- are Mumble Rajan and Chav Barnett.

M.