David Starkey, who provoked a furious response when he said “the whites have become black’’ during a Newsnight discussion on the 2011 riots, is back in favour at the BBC.
The historian who had enjoyed an exclusive Channel 4 contract will now present a BBC2 series, Music And Monarchy, in which he explores how successive kings and queens helped shaped the history of British music.
Tim Davie, acting BBC director-general, disclosed Starkey’s return during an event to launch the BBC’s 2013 Music coverage. Davie clearly hopes to curry favour with Tony Hall before he leaves the Royal Opera House to take over at the BBC in April.
“I sense that under the new D-G there will be more opera so I’ve got ahead of that,” Davie said. “We’ll be broadcasting every opera by Wagner, Verdi and Britten for the first time, during their anniversary years.”
