David Tennant and Stephen Merchant both voice support for BBC

David Tennant thinks the BBC should be tinkered with “at our peril”.

The former ‘Doctor Who’ star has thrown his support behind the licence-fee funded corporation, as he believes it is one of the “few things that gives our nation the distinctive voice that it has once enjoyed”.

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He said: “[The BBC is] one of these things that we tinker with at our peril, I would say.

“To me, the BBC is one of the few things that gives our nation the distinctive voice that it has once enjoyed! It’s something that we have to cling onto with white knuckles to preserve.”

The BBC (British Broadcasting Company) is marking its 100th birthday this week after it was formed on October 18, 1922.

Stephen Merchant, who co-wrote BBC sitcom ‘The Office’ alongside Ricky Gervais, has also voiced his support for the corporation.

“I was a young BBC trainee and, as part of a lesson on TV directing, I had to make an instructional film about how to wash a car.

“The next exercise was to make a short documentary. Instead, I made a fake documentary with my friend, Ricky Gervais. I still have the tape. The label reads: 1. How to wash a car. 2. The Office.”

What’s more, BBC Chief Content Officer Charlotte Moore believes the corporation has been “on fire creatively”, but admits the main challenge the BBC faces is to “really evolve with the time” and to “take even more risks”.

Admitting the financial stability of the licence fee is “critical”, she added: “Obviously the two years of cash flat and four years of keeping pace of inflation does mean we’re going to make some tough choices.

“But I have great faith in the BBC’s future and we’re going to do everything we can to ensure the BBC continues to punch above its weight.”

‘Strictly Come Dancing’ couples will perform to an iconic BBC theme tune or dance in tribute to one of the corporation’s most-loved services this weekend to celebrate 100 years of the company.

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