The video involves 90 stars and aims to show the value of the BBC as licence fee sales fall and charter renewal looms

Forty years after John Cleese stood in a pub and wondered what the BBC had ever given us, Romesh Ranganathan stars in a re-imagined version of the video campaign for a new generation.

Timed to coincide with discussions around the BBC’s charter renewal and future funding options, Romesh again asks what the Corporation provides the nation for the £180 cost of the licence fee.

And this time around the answers are given by an even wider cast of BBC stars, with 90 famous faces taking part in the three-minute promotional film, which gets its debut tonight during the World Cup final.

Romesh starts off in Walford’s Queen Vic pub where Chris Martin just happens to be on the piano, sparking a song. “Sure it’s great if you’re a fan of Ian Beale or if The Traitors has any appeal,” he says as Claudia Winkleman and Pudsey Bear pop up and he notes that the BBC raises £2.5bn for charity. “But what has the BBC ever done for me?”

As he emerges into Albert Square, where Alan Carr is playing the EastEnders duff-duffs on the drums, Romesh remembers that the BBC introduced the nation to “someone called Adele”.

But when Ruth Jones mentions her admiration of BBC Radio Cymru, he retorts: “Yes, but I live in Crawley, how does that benefit me?”

Admitting there are shows he “wouldn’t dare to belittle” he finds himself first being shot at by angry Daleks from Doctor Who and then on a hospital trolley inside Casualty’s Holby General. But finding Black Ops star Gbemisola Ikumelo in an interview room, he demands: “While you’re giving your suspect the third degree - ask them, what has the BBC ever done for me?”

Arriving in a school where a whole class tells him: “BBC Bitesize helps kids learn,” he sniffs: “I’m 48, why’s that my concern?” And making it into the newsroom, he also claims to not care if BBC News journalists “verify news thoroughly”.

At this point anchor Clive Myrie, Radio 2’s Sara Cox and comedian Chris McCausland point out that Romesh himself presents the BBC entertainment series The Weakest Link, has his own Radio 2 weekend show and also fronts a hiphop podcast on BBC Sounds.

But he’s not finished yet. Jumping onto a moving camera as if on a dolly shot, Romesh insists that Mary Berry, Glastonbury, celebs on Graham Norton’s sofa and the Gladiators mean nothing to him. He is similarly dismissive of all the BBC’s radio stations, Wimbledon, natural history shows and CBeebies.

But he acknowledges that “they do a lot of British storytelling" as he stumbles into a scene with Call the Midwife’s Jenny Agutter and Helen George.

He’s informed that he’s “fired” as he says “stuff The Apprentice” along with Match of the Day, but is finally brought up short by Louis Theroux, who is grasping a big on-off switch. In reference to how the public funds the BBC, Louis tells him ominously: “You know none of this has to exist if we don’t want it to.”

At this point Romesh backtracks as he mumbles: “Well, no look, I’m not saying that…”

And handed a folder, he informs the viewers: “It says here the money we pay for the BBC creates over £6.5bn for the economy - which actually sounds pretty good.”

He finishes by being guided onto the Strictly Come Dancing floor, and as the pros twirl away he repeats for the final time: “But what has the BBC ever done for me?” As a last attempt, judge Anton du Beke answers: “Strictly?” but is given short shrift.

In the 1986 original, Monty Python and Fawlty Towers favourite Cleese posed almost the same question and was answered by the likes of Sir David Attenborough, Sue Lawley, Alan Whicker, Sir Terry Wogan, Moira Stuart, Sir David Jason and Sir Bob Geldof, each highlighting a different programme or service that the BBC provided. Back then a licence fee cost £58, which Cleese argues is “diabolical”.

Four decades on, viewers will be delighted that the two Sir Davids both feature for a second time - Attenborough’s voice is used to highlight the BBC’s natural history output, while Only Fools and Horses star Jason can again be seen in person.

Others who feature in the 2026 version include Cate Blanchett, Clare Balding, Paul Merton, Gloria Hunniford, Greg James, Anita Rani, Stacey Solomon, Nick Robinson and Michaela Strachan - to mention but a few - along with many Strictly pros and half the cast of EastEnders.

Kerrie Bright, the BBC’s Chief Customer Officer, said that the six-day shoot had been a challenging feat to pull off. “As Romesh travels through some of our most iconic programmes, sets and studios, he encounters 90 familiar faces, each helping to answer that question in their own way. And while the finished film lasts only a few minutes, bringing it to life was quite an undertaking. How do you coordinate nearly 100 celebrities across a six-day shoot, taking over everything from the Queen Vic to BBC News? The honest answer is: with a lot of planning, a lot of spreadsheets and a lot of patience.”

Last week as the BBC’s annual report was published it emerged that more than 500,000 people have stopped buying a TV licence, following on from more than 300k last year.

Kerrie said the reason for the campaign was to remind people of the BBC’s value. “Forty years after the question was first posed, we're asking it again. And as Romesh discovers, the answer isn't any one programme, service or personality. It's millions of moments that inform, educate, entertain and bring people together.

“The world has changed dramatically since 1986. The way people watch, listen and consume media has been transformed. Audiences have more choice than ever before. At the same time, trusted information, shared experiences and content that is available to everyone feels more valuable than ever. So we decided it was time to ask the question again.”

And she said that there were other things for viewers to consider while watching too, including the BBC contributing £6.7 billion to the UK economy and supporting more than 79,000 jobs. “As the UK's largest single investor in original content, we help support creative businesses, freelancers and production talent across every nation and region of the UK. These contributions aren’t often talked about with audiences - we want to ensure the BBC gets credit for the fundamental impact it has on society, as well as the things it makes.”

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