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Guidance: Talent Searches and Contestants

Editorial Guidelines issues

This Guidance Note relates to the following Editorial Guidelines:

Guidance in full

General

This advice note is of particular relevance to all those involved in BBC content, which aims to identify and provide opportunities for new and emerging on air and off air talent . Such content may originate from any genre, division and/or platform. Currently this is most likely to emanate from Entertainment, Factual Entertainment and BBC Music.

Talent Searches are distinct from general viewer or listener competitions or quiz based game shows, as they are specifically designed to identify, nurture and reward new and emerging  on air talent and off air talent therefore will often offer life changing opportunities, based on a contributor’s skill in a given field. Searches cover a wide range of creative activities - everything from singing and dancing to conducting; painting and stand-up comedy; to fishing ,cooking and entrepreneurial skills. These contests are a detailed process designed to find an ultimate winner with a specific specialist skill over a period of time, usually via a series of performances and/or challenges, which are judged.  They are usually mounted as on air events although there are some specific talent searches such as those to find new writers and directors which take place off air. Many of these talent searches take the form of awards e.g. some are bursaries such as The Carlton Hobbs bursary.  

Contributors are often put into a competitive environment, for example in front of a judging panel or public vote. Often such shows entail filming or recording over a long period of time with contributors.  Some current examples include “The Apprentice”, “The Greatest Dancer”,  “Young Musician”  and “Dragons’ Den”. and “Masterchef”.

See also Editorial Guidelines Section 17 Competitions, Votes and Interactivity: Awards 17.3.6-17.3.9

The BBC may mount a Talent Search on its own or with a suitable third party, which may be an individual or organisation with a creative expertise in a specialised area and /or access to specific opportunities that fits with the editorial purpose of the talent search,that the BBC would be unable to provide by itself. The key principles outlined in this guidance apply for celebrity talent searches as well as those for members of the public.

Principles

The following principles apply to all BBC Talent searches:

  • Any proposal to set up a BBC Talent search must be referred to a Senior Editorial figure at the planning stages
  • Talent searches must have a clear editorial purpose
  • Contestants must be treated with respect and not subject to ridicule or humiliation- they should aim to be a positive experience
  • There should be clear, published terms and conditions, which have been agreed with Commissioning, Production, Business Affairs teams and Editorial Policy 
  • Criteria for judging or nominations must be transparent, clear, fair and consistent
  • Winners and runners up must have clear written guidance as to how they may make reference to the contest once the result has been published by the BBC
  • If an award is to be decided totally or in part via a public vote then ITACU must be consulted at an early stage and the guidance and process for audience voting must be adhered to.

See Guidance: Interacting with Audiences

If the Talent Search is to be run in partnership with an outside organisation or individual then:

Our choice of partner must be appropriate and consistent with the editorial aims of the talent search proposed and should not bring the BBC into disrepute:

  • The BBC's editorial impartiality and integrity must not be compromised
  • The BBC must retain editorial control
  • We should aim to work with a range of partners over time and not unduly favour one above another.

Permissions and Referrals

Talent searches may be complex to set up and may require advice from several specialist areas of the BBC including Editorial Policy, Programme Legal Advice, Marketing and Communications, BBC Policy (Fair Trading), and Business Affairs. If the award involves any use of voting then advice must be sought from ITACU.

Therefore any proposals to set up a BBC Talent search must be referred at an early stage to a senior editorial figure who may refer the proposal to Editorial Policy for specific advice and advice on which other department may need to be consulted,

In particular referral must be made to Editorial Policy if:

  • There is a proposal to mount a Talent search involving children
  • There is a proposal to partner with a third party or individual to mount a talent search or to supply the prize
  • There is a proposal for a commercial third party to supply the prize
  • The Talent Search involves a bursary or a prize funded by an outside organisation, this must also be approved by the BBC Regulatory lawyers at the outset
  • The Talent search involves voting or interactivity
  • The Talent search involves a cash prize.

Advice on how to Set Up and Run BBC Talent Searches 

Talent searches may be decided by way of a panel/judges, an audience public vote or a studio audience vote or combination of the three.

An appropriate editorial figure must oversee and be responsible for the running of the Talent Search. Appropriate time and resources must be allocated.    

There must be a clear editorial purpose . The prize may be an accolade, with no immediate monetary value or often Talent searches will seek to offer the winning contestant(s) an unique opportunity that aims to further develop their skills.  

Conflict of Interest

Contestants should not normally have any close connection to the BBC, the production company or anyone else involved in running or judging the contest. If such a connection emerges during the process, referral must be made to senior management and Editorial Policy.

A clear process must be established to judge the initial round of applications. If there are a high number, entries may be split into groups and judged by separate panels of judges or different members of production. We must always be consistent and in such cases a control mechanism such as an overseeing adjudicator or senior editorial figure must be considered to ensure fairness between panels. Further advice may be obtained from Editorial Policy.

If initial submissions are depended on technology for example audio files uploaded to a website or via social media, regular checks should be made to ensure the platform is operating properly and in the event of technical failure the deadline for applications may need to be extended or alternative entry methods may need to be considered. Productions should consider whether entry methods are fully accessible to the target audience.

Selection of Contestants  

Whilst anyone may apply to be considered, subject to the terms and conditions, contestants who are shortlisted must be able to demonstrate that they have a specific skill or talent or the potential to develop on a way that meets the criteria of the contest. Usually we will look for applicants who are new or relatively new to the field we are looking to highlight – generally they will not be professionals or earn more than 50% of their regular income from that activity. 

Initial Sourcing of contestants

Often the BBC will be offering a significant opportunity in a particular field and generally we will seek to find contestants from as wide a range of background and experience as possible.

In some cases, where we are looking for highly specialised skills we may need to limit the search to those contestants with specific qualifications  or who are already enrolled in specific training.  

In a few instances talent searches may be designed to find talent that represents a particular region or nation. In these cases when establishing the talent search it is advisable to contact Editorial Policy in advance as there could be specific issues regarding fair selection.

In some cases productions may wish to target specific communities who may have been traditionally underrepresented in nominations or applications in particular fields or whom it is felt may need specific encouragement to come forward. It is acceptable to target marketing in this way as long as all applicants are then treated fairly and equally, again it is advisable to seek advice.     

Selection Process

In many cases the selection process will consist of several stages. Productions may seek to establish a shortlist from the initial applications and in some cases may also wish to proactively cast contestants – here transparency and fairness is important;   A shortlist/final winner may be decided by a public vote or a panel or a combination of the two.

Talent searches can only be judged fairly, either by the public or a panel, if clear, consistent and fair criteria are established at the outset and at all relevant stages. These must be outlined in the terms and conditions so that entrants, nominators and judges  and also the voting or nominating public are  all clear as to the purpose of the search and how it is to be decided.

First stage applications/nominations

Typically applicants will be asked to submit an entry form which could be accompanied by some demonstration of their potential, such as a short video/ audio recording or other example of their creative work or specific skill. Care must be taken to anticipate the likely popularity of the search and allocate sufficient resources to process all applications- all applications must be fairly and equally considered and records should be kept so that this can be demonstrated if required.

Entry/application forms should ask for all relevant information required at this stage. They should be accompanied by the relevant terms and conditions. Advice may be sought from Business Affairs and Editorial Policy and Data Protection advisers. They should always be GDPR compliant. In some cases specialist advice might be required such as specialist legal advice or recruitment employment advice where the prize is a contract of employment such as a performance deal.  Although more detailed information may be sought at a later stage, and more detailed terms and conditions may then be issued, applicants must be made aware of any key requirements or rules which could affect their decision to apply, such as age restrictions, references, the right to live and work in the UK, holding a valid passport or driving licence etc.

Nominations

Sometimes the long list is arrived at via third party nominations which maybe from members of the public, a specific community/field of specialists, or a small selected panel. In all cases nominators should be asked to indicate whether they think the person being nominated will consent to take part. Remember this will not equate to personal consent and further checks will need to be made before putting the contender’s name into the public domain.

Auditions/casting stage  

Many talent searches require contestants to perform in public and ultimately have their performance judged by a panel or voted on by the public. Usually such contests will have an audition stage which may or may not be included in the final programme. Even where there are not auditions, producers may wish to cast contestants to ensure that a wide range of backgrounds and experiences are showcased and that the range of viewers and listeners are reflected in the range of contestants. 

Consideration should be given to the location of auditions if conducting a UK wide talent searches. Providing sites in several locations may be the best way to ensure that the widest range of applicants possible are able to apply. 

Again the likely popularity of the contest should be anticipated and enough time and resource allocated to manage the audition process and care of applicants waiting to be seen. 

Auditions and casting should have clear, written criteria. Contestants should be clear exactly what is expected of them at all stages and the overall basis on which they are being judged. Whilst we may seek a range of ability and also seek to ensure contestants reflect the range of the audience, all contestants who are selected to go through to the next stage must reasonably have the potential /possibility of winning the contest. 

A record should be kept of audition performance at all relevant stages and comments/scores should also be kept. Contestants may request to see evidence of this process at a later date.  

It is usually sensible to select a number of standby/runner up contestants to have on standby should any shortlisted applicants withdraw or be found to be unsuitable or ineligible at a later stage

Screening of Contestants and Duty of Care

Talent searches may offer a significant opportunity, in some cases the winner and runners up may get a contract of employment. Even where the prize is an accolade with no monetary or employment value contestants may have the opportunity of showcasing their skills on Television, radio and online and this could lead to other opportunities. Therefore it is likely contestants and in some cases their friends and family and the programmes they are in may come under significant press and public scrutiny and it is important that contestants have been selected with care to ensure that an assessment has been made to establish that they are able to cope with this attention, and also so that we have ensured that being on the talent search is in their best interests and that have any extra support required.

Contestants should be made aware that we are likely to carry out suitable background checks should they reach a certain stage of the contest. These checks will typically include criminal records checks, online reputational checks , employer references , talks with friends and family and sometimes medical checks.

Duty of Care

Duty of care to our contestants is paramount and this is why we have to take great care in selecting, assessing, supporting and monitoring contestants- this is particularly important where we are asking them to perform or appear in competitive situations. The pressure can be increased where these are in front of a panel or audience and also where the programme is live/as live and/or where a public vote is involved. Also   where the content is likely to attract attention on social media .

Even if contestants have shown great promise and talent in the initial selection stage, it may still not be in their best interests to take part in or continue in a public talent contest. Therefore in some cases productions should ensure contestants have been seen by a suitably experienced psychologist who is used to dealing with broadcast environments.  Any areas of major concern should be escalated appropriately within production and commission and advice may be taken from Editorial Policy. The BBC’s SSR team may also be consulted for advice and for assessing the validity of qualifications. All data should be protected in line with the BBC’s data protection and privacy policies.

In some cases contestants may come from difficult or vulnerable backgrounds however it may be very beneficial for them to be able to express themselves in a  creative environment. In order for those contestants to proceed in the talent search  extra care, support and safeguards may need to be put in place and productions should plan to bring in extra resources if required.

Particular care should be given where talent searches may involve young contestants ( see also Children Appendix 1)

An ongoing level of care and support may be required throughout the contest and it is recommended that the same psychologist be used throughout the contest for consistency. In some cases in order to fully assess the wellbeing of contestants it will be important for the psychologist to be on location or close at hand.  

It may also be important to seek verification of a contestant’s suitability from other professionals such as GP’s, other health or care workers, parents, schools and colleges.

Use of Psychologists [NB this section may be updated later in 2019 following external reviews]

In addition in some cases we may engage a suitably qualified psychologist/ therapist to help us assess a potential contestant’s their suitability for the contest and any extra measures that may be advisable to ensure appropriate duty of care .It is important that such external professionals also have suitable experience of working in a broadcast environment on content of the type proposed.  The BBC has a list of professionals who have been used recently and who are experienced in working in broadcast environment, The BBC SSR team can also help advise on the currency of qualifications. [1]

It will be important to establish that external professionals will be able to be available at short notice and also for the likely duration of the talent search including an appropriate period of after care. If this work is to be subcontracted at any stage productions and commissioning should be aware of this at the outset and any subcontractors credentials should also be checked

Use of Social Media (see also Fairness below)

Increasingly we will be encouraging our contestants to make use of social media to engage audiences with the talent search. Not all contestants are familiar or comfortable with this medium and to ensure fairness we should ensure there are resources to help explain how to get the best out of social media.

Social media can sometimes be used in a negative way, contestants should be fully briefed on how to handle social media responsibly and how production can help them in the event of any problems. Sometimes it will be sensible to ask contestants to suspend their social media accounts for the duration of the production – or they may be asked to set up specific BBC accounts so that we can help them manage the traffic and information. This may also be a sensible precaution to preserve confidentiality around the programme.

Contestants who are likely to use/are encouraged to use social media as part of the talent search should be given specific support and social media training and should so be advised on the likely press implications of social media and what to do if there is a problem. If a production is likely to use social media extensively with contestants a briefing session and guidance should be arranged at an early stage of production and if necessary repeated before the final stages.

Background Checks

It is important that suitable background checks are carried out. These should usually all be completed prior to the commencement of recording or finalising the shortlist. In some cases it can take some time for checks to be returned. If production proposes to commence before all checks have been finalised referral should be made to senior management. Contestants should be reminded that it is part of the conditions of entry to give full and honest disclosure of any information reasonably requested and that if it transpires that this was not done they may be eliminated from the contest.

Depending on the nature of the contest, the prize and the makeup of applicants different levels of background checks may be required. For example, whilst it would not be proportionate to require criminal records checks on all members of a choir, we are likely to need to do so for individuals taking part in a contest where there was a significant prize or accolade and/or where they would be showcased for some time on television or radio, or housed with other contestants for a period of time.

All applicants should always be judged on a case by case basis. Our aim should always to be as inclusive as possible. For example, having a criminal record should not necessarily preclude someone from being a talent search contestant. However we should consider relevant factors such as the nature of the offence, the timing, the likely impact on victims and whether the offence and the opportunity of the talent search represent a conflict for example a contestant with a number of convictions for fraud may be a poor fit for a talent search seeking to help contestants set up their own business.  

Aftercare

It is essential that productions and commissioning teams factor in at the outset the need for aftercare and that this is properly planned and budgeted for. Considerations will need to include some or all of the points below:

  • Type of aftercare
  • Duration
  • Retention of specialist assistance
  • An agreed exit strategy to ensure that at a suitable point contestants are no longer dependent on productions but where relevant alternative arrangements have been made to ensure care continues as appropriate
  • Social media aftercare
  • Prize administration
  • Business and career advice  

Editorial Policy should be consulted over the proposed Aftercare Plan.

Judging Talent Searches

Fairness

At all times we must be fair to all our contestants. Challenges, tasks, and how these are judged must be accompanied by clear, consistent and fair rules and criteria and these should be explained to the contestants and the audience. This extends beyond the programme into all relevant areas such as how we market, edit and promote the show in the wider media.   

Rules and Terms and Conditions

Each contest has to have its own bespoke rules and terms and conditions. In addition there should be clear rules/criteria for any challenges or main stages of the contest. For complex contests it may be advisable to hire a contingency/rules producer to oversee all the terms and conditions and contingencies in the event of a problem or change of circumstance during production.

Method of Judging

Care should be taken over the appropriate method of deciding the finalists and winner of a talent search. Judging may take the form of a panel of experts who may appear on air or behind the scenes, an audience or studio vote, or any combination of the above. Not all searches will be appropriate for a public vote, it will depend on what is being judged and whether specialist knowledge is required or not.

In some cases it will be most appropriate to use a panel to judge contestants. When a judging panel is being established it is important to ensure that the panel shows suitable expertise, range and is free from conflict of interest. They must confirm, in writing, that they have no conflicts of interest; they should not have any close personal or commercial connection to the entrants.

If such a connection emerges once the contest has commenced, then the panel member should normally withdraw. Editorial Policy and Legal Advice should be consulted. It might be necessary to restart judging. It is important that all entrants are judged in a consistent manner in line with the agreed criteria.

This judging system should be clearly explained to the judges, the audience and to entrants via briefings and on air/online announcements and the terms and conditions. The panel should normally include, or be overseen, by a BBC representative to ensure that the BBC remains in editorial control of the running of all of its contests at all stages. ITACU may also be consulted for terms and conditions.

Clear demonstrable criteria should be agreed and issued to the panel well in advice of judging. Contestants should know of all key parts of the criteria on which they are to be judged. Ultimately in most cases judgments will be subjective but they will need to be well founded and stand up to the criteria and scrutiny. The panel should be briefed as to the importance of this and on any agreed procedure.  

Where public voting is to take place early advice should be sought from ITACU and Editorial Policy.

See Guidance: Interacting with Audiences

Challenges

Some Talent searches are partially judged via a series of challenges which are designed to put the contestants into a number of different scenarios to test them   individually or as part of a group. All such challenges should be fair and care should be taken to ensure that contestants do not have an intrinsic inbuilt advantage or disadvantage which would make the audience or contenders reasonably feel the challenge was unfairly weighted. Where differing skills are to be tested across the run producers should be mindful of the timing of specific tasks across the series and in some cases it may be sensible to consider a random draw or other suitable measures to ensure fairness. 

All challenges should be clearly measurable. Whilst judging may involve a degree of subjectivity it can be useful to have a mixture of quantifiable as well as subjective factors for the audience and contenders to understand the basis of the outcome.

 Where contestants are being judged in teams the selection of the teams is important and producers should be mindful of how they are to ensure fairness.  In some cases teams may have more contestants than others. This may be for sound editorial reasons and may acceptable as long as producers have been mindful of the skill base within teams and adjusted tasks accordingly if required. Consult Editorial policy if in doubt.  

Contingency Planning

Talent searches can have many layers and often involve performance and other activity where the unexpected can occur. It is very important therefore to have put in place proper contingency planning for both the overall series and any challenges. It is advisable to have a contingency planning meeting and ensure all specialist advice is taken on board. A contingency document should be drawn up and signed off by all main areas prior to the commencement of production. This should cover key points such as injury, withdrawal, disqualification of contributors, any challenges which result in a draw or have to be abandoned due to external circumstances, technical problems and also voting technical contingencies  – ITACU should be consulted here.  The use of an experienced contingency producer is also advisable in some formats.

Verification 

In some cases where the prize on offer is substantial or prestigious, it may be appropriate to consider putting in place a system of independent verification of the process and final result. For example, some programmes may wish to use an independent solicitor or accountant or suitable verification body. In other cases where there is a judging panel it might be important to ensure the Chair is independent of the BBC and/or any partner organisation. Editorial Policy will advise whether external verification is required and will liaise with ITACU to procure a suitable verifier and/or to ensure any verifier is on then ITACU approved list

Prizes

Sometimes the prize will be the accolade of winning and may have no monetary value other than a trophy.

In other Talent searches it may represent a significant opportunity and value such as a recording contract, a business investment, a concert tour.   

In some case the BBC will not by itself be able to offer the opportunity without the assistance of a third party. In such cases we may partner with a suitable third party or individual to source the prize. Examples could include a part in a professional music or dance production; setting up a business enterprise; a concert at a prestigious occasion etc.

All sourcing of donated prizes must accord with the Statement of Policy on Alternate Finance [2]. This is an area which frequently has issues needing specialist advice therefore Editorial Policy and Regulatory Legal must be consulted. 

In brief:

  • Our choice of prize partners  should not bring the BBC into disrepute or undermine our impartiality or integrity
  • We should not give undue prominence to the donors of prizes
  • Great care should be taken where the prize itself is a commercial opportunity  and extra measures may need to be taken to minimise any undue prominence on air when describing the prize
  • In some cases we should have tendered the prize opportunity
  • Normally commercial donors of prizes should have no editorial involvement in the programme
  • Where the donor or partner is an individual who is also Talent connected to the show Editorial Policy must advise to ensure there is no conflict of interest
  • We must be confident that the prize can be honoured and in the unlikely event of cancellation an alternative should be found
  • Measures may be needed to avoid any possible conflict of interest.

It is rare for a Talent search to offer a cash prize which is not clearly linked to an opportunity consistent with the editorial ambition of the talent search- any such proposal; should be referred to Editorial Policy.

Use of a BBC Talent Search by Winners and/or Runners Up

It is likely that winners and in some cases, finalists/runners up, may wish to refer to the fact they have won or been runners up in a BBC Talent Search. We also will wish to help them celebrate their success and the opportunities the BBC has helped them achieve. There must be clear information for winners and nominees as to how their involvement and achievements may be referenced after transmission/the completion of the talent search.

This information should be issued to all entrants at an appropriate stage. Adherence to these must form part of the terms and conditions. We must ensure that the terms and condition include the right to withdraw the prize at any stage if it transpires that winners have broken them or if their subsequent behaviour could bring the BBC into disrepute.

It is always useful to give contestants a clear indication of what is permissible and it may be advisable to put together a "winner's pack" of BBC material which may be used by winners, with accompanying conditions. This could consist of any of the following depending on the nature of the prize, subject to relevant clearances, and in accordance with the BBC Policy (Fair Trading):

  • An award logo
  • Relevant short clips and or stills of their entry or appropriate short extracts of the programme such as the announcement of the result
  • A form of words to describe their success in the Talent Search as agreed by the BBC
  • Possibly a BBC quote
  • A certificate, if relevant,  which may be displayed in public
  • A link back to the BBC site to explain the background to the contest and how the end result was arrived at;
  • In certain very limited cases they may be able to reference the talent search in commercial activities. Any such agreements must be referred to Editorial Policy who will consult with BBC Policy (Fair Trading) and RL &BA: a separate trade mark licence may need to be issued.

Winners will not be allowed to use any elements of the winning pack or refer to the BBC or its programmes and services:

  • In order to attract external funding
  • To lobby or campaign;
  • To attract donations
  • If the prize is withdrawn

Each case will vary and Editorial Policy, Business Affairs and in some cases BBC Policy (Fair Trading) must be consulted.

Organising Talent Searches with Third Parties

Jointly Run Talent Searches

Further advice should be sought from the BBC Editorial Guidelines Section 16 External Relationships and Financing.

See Editorial Guidelines Section 16 External Relationships and Financing

Any proposal for a jointly run Talent Search must be referred at an early stage to Editorial Policy and the relevant business affairs manager.

The BBC may decide to mount a Talent search with a suitable organisation such as an artistic, industry, or educational institution or charitable foundations.

The choice of partner must be appropriate and editorially justifiable; care must be taken not to unduly promote the partner. All on-air and online references should be editorially justifiable. Even though the Talent search may be jointly organised, the BBC must retain overall editorial control. The partner may not decide the winner.

We do not normally mount Talent searches with commercial organisations. However, it may be possible: 

  • To run a competitive award with a publication or other media organisation for a joint award for skills associated with broadcasting such as journalism, music, writing or drama or other BBC initiative;
  • For local radio stations to join with a regional publication to organise and present a local award.

When organising an award with a media organisation or publication, it is important that our choice of partner is editorially justifiable and that we take care not to promote the partner on-air.

Nominations and/or voting may be via the BBC and the publication or media organisation, but BBC licence fee funded services may only publicise entry via the BBC. It is essential that no-one is required to buy a publication in order to be entered for a BBC talent search or make a nomination.

Normally the BBC will not incorporate the third party name into the title of the programme.

Any proposed exception must be referred well in advance to Editorial Policy. 

A contract or agreement will need to be drawn up between the BBC and the outside organisation, which must set out clearly lines of responsibility;  must be consulted at an early stage.

 A third party may do the following: 

  • Provide Specialist expertise for the judging panel
  • Help run and publicise the talent search
  • Provide or run facilities for shortlisted candidates - such as workshops;
  • Provide part of the overall prize - e.g. a grant or bursary, performance opportunity, publication of a winner's work.

Appendix 1

Children's Talent searches and Talent Searches involving Children

All the key principles in the main guidance apply. Great care must be taken with setting up an on screen or on air Talent search involving children.  At all times the welfare of the child is paramount. The competitive environment of many talent searches, and the associated public spotlight and profile may not be suited to every child, no matter how skilled they may be. Each case must be considered on its merits even if parents, schools and others may be very keen for the child to be included.

See also Editorial Guidelines Section 9 Working with Children and Young People as Contributors

Any proposal to include a child under 16 a talent search also involving adults must be referred to Editorial Policy at an early stage, this may not be appropriate- also there may be specific child licensing considerations. The BBC’s SSR team must also be consulted.

[1] See Guidance on Supporting Contributors in Crisis from BBC Safety Security and Resilience

See also Psychological Well-Being: Guidance for Protecting Contributors from BBC Safety Security and Resilience: Advice for Journalists and Presenters

[2] Statement of Policy on Use of Alternative Finance in BBC Content (Clause 49 (4) of the BBC Framework Agreement 2016)

Last updated July 2019

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