I'm a TV expert - this is the BBC primetime show which needs to be axed

I have been writing about Prime Time TV for years, so inevitably, you become a bit of an expert on the subject. In that time, I have seen shows come and go and can usually tell from the off which new offerings will crash and burn. I have also seen many old staples get facelift after facelift in an effort to keep them afloat, but sometimes it is just kinder to put a show out of its misery. A show that has definitely seen better days is the BBC's "flagship" teatime show, The One Show. Launched on August 14 2006, it is fast approaching its 20th anniversary - and it shows.

It still gets 2 to 3 million viewers a night (significantly down from its highest figure of 5.83 million in January 2013), but at this stage it seems to have lost all concept of targeting a demographic or sticking to a tone. Every single guest is flogging something, and the only criterion for landing an appearance on the show seems to be your availability at 7pm on the day of filming. The guest list reads like a rogues gallery, flitting between Z-list reality stars, A-list Hollywood stars popping in on their way to a red carpet, sports people and politicians with a bio to plug (or in the case of the latter, begging for votes!)

However, if you are expecting to at least learn something about the guests, forget about it. You can tell that, unlike original host Adrian Chiles, none of what has become a rotating door of presenters is a trained journalist, simply by the insipid questions they ask. Other than stalwart Alex Jones, who has remained with the show for 15 years and surely has its logo running through her body like a stick of rock, you never know what randomer will pop up to present. The hosts are all stage school kids, nepo babies, DJs, former popstars and former sportspeople.

The simpering chats basically see them ask someone to tell them about what they are flogging and then nod along enthusiastically as the captive guest (Al Pacino tried walking off set in 2020 and learned there was no escape!) basically does a sales pitch. Unsurprisingly, many of the guests are involved in BBC projects.

Then there are the VTs. Usually hosted by one of a multitude of roving reporters, these are as random as they are mind-boggling. They tend to try to focus on something regional and can be about anything from fly tipping to insects to a historical event. There is zero consistency.

The presenters often look to these for inspiration for their questions, so we have been treated to moments such as national treasure Dame Judi Dench being asked if she ever puts her feet up on the seats on trains! Because clearly, her stellar, almost seven-decade career isn't nearly as interesting as that.

Many of the guests (particuarly the American A-listers) look bewildered at the mish mash of proceedings and I would wager there have been several calls to agents following appearances.

I won't even go into the controversies it has weathered or the sacking of presenter Jermaine Jenas for "innappropriate behaviour" because even without these it would be looking jaded.

It's like the tail end of a kid's party where the attendees are exhausted but the clown hired to entertain them just keeps bouncing around, making balloon animals and insisting they enjoy themselves. It's become a chore to watch.

I can only assume that the millions of viewers who "tune in" are simply forgetting to switch over after the news and just leaving the TV on because I refuse to believe that this is appointment viewing for anybody. Two decades is a good run, but it is time the BBC put it to rest and found some other light entertainment format to amuse us at tea time.