Doherty banned by BBC

By Stone Martindale Jan 16, 2007, 2:02 GMT

Pete Doherty arrives for sentencing at Thames Magistrates court EPA/HUGO PHILPOTT

BBC children's TV has banned the bedeviled Babyshambler Pete Doherty because the network brass has no faith in him as a good role model for impressionable kids.

The ban was made known on BBC reviews show Newswatch, when Tim Levell, the editor of BBC children's news bulletin Newsround, admitted, "We have an informal agreement we don't cover Pete Doherty at all - in fact, there is one across the whole of BBC children's TV."

"And if his management asked if he could be a guest on a Saturday morning show, we would say no as we don't think he is a good role model for children."

Doherty isn't allowed to appear on any kids TV show on the BBC, and manager Andy Boyd fears it will hit Doherty in the wallet via poor record sales.  Boyd is appealing to the BBC to reverse their decision on the ban, saying, "Kids who want to buy Peter's records will not buy them because the BBC are not supporting him. I would like their support, but it's not critical to his future career."