BBC News criticised for ‘ridiculous’ report on Hugh Grant’s visit to Frome bakery

A BBC News article has been ridiculed online after it reported that actor Hugh Grant had been spotted at a bakery in Frome, Somerset.

The news outlet revealed that Grant had bought a bacon roll, a cup of coffee and a custard slice, with the staff member who served him describing the Love Actually star as a “very polite and well-spoken gentleman”.

Alongside being known for the acclaimed Glastonbury Festival, Somerset is often visited by high-profile figures, with Jeremy Clarkson, David Beckham and James McAvoy all reported to have explored the county in recent years.

However, the latest celebrity spotting – of 60-year-old Grant – raised eyebrows among Twitter users online, with one describing the story from BBC News as “ridiculous”.

The article’s headline has since been amended following the backlash, with the title changed from ‘Hugh Grant spotted in Frome bakery’ to ‘Hugh Grant in Frome: Why Somerset is attractive to celebs’.

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Responding to the BBC’s initial tweet, comedy writer James Felton replied: “Did I miss something big? Is this some sort of manhunt?”

“Anyone know where in the country Hugh Grant is, what type of foodstuffs he’s buying and… oh, don’t worry, BBC News has sorted it,” tweeted fellow comedian Bennet Arron.

Arron wasn’t the only one to take the light news seriously, either:

Others hinted and suggested that the organisation report on more serious matters, like, I don’t know, a deadly pandemic or the Greensill scandal:

Some suggested potential uses for this piece of information:

Comments were also made about Grant’s privacy, a topic of interest for the Paddington 2 star after he secured a settlement with Mirror Group Newspapers in 2018:

Grant was the victim of phone hacking in a privacy scandal which would later lead to the closure of the newspaper, News of the World.

Indy100 has contacted BBC News for comment so we’ll see what they say about the reaction to the story.

But at least we’ve settled one thing – Grant always did strike us as a custard slice kind of guy.