Progress towards Across the UK ambitions
The table below provides further detail on how the BBC is monitoring audience performance and perceptions of the BBC.
The audience goal of the Across the UK plan is a statistically significant reduction in the audience portrayal perception gap between UK regions at the end of the programme in 2027/28 versus the baseline year of 2019/20. This means we are trying to close the gap in perceptions of nations and regions portrayal between different parts of the UK (as a short-hand, the difference between the score for a nation or region and the UK average moves closer to zero).
Since April 2023, the BBC has invested in additional measurement to assess its impact. As part of its response to Public Accounts Committee recommendations on evaluation of the Across the UK programme, the BBC has agreed to publish further information on this in its Annual Report and Accounts.
While the goal of the Across the UK plan is to reduce the gap by 2027/28, here we track progress towards this ambition as part of our commitments to monitor the plan transparently.
A sustained reduction in variation in audience perceptions of BBC nations and regions portrayal is a long-term exercise. Year-to-year performance can be influenced by a variety of factors, including those more linked to the Across the UK plan such as content commissions, as well as broader reasons such as BBC reputational challenges and changes in levels of usage of the BBC driven by market forces. As the results below show, improvement was made in reducing audience portrayal perception gaps in 2025/26 versus the 2019/20 baseline, though there is further to go.
For an update on the latest headlines and outcomes from the Across the UK programme during 2025/26, please see Delivering Across the UK.
Reflects my nation/region fairly
Audience portrayal perception gap % point difference versus UK average
| 2019/20 | 2025/26 | |
|---|---|---|
Scotland | -9 | -1 |
Wales | -3 | +1 |
Northern Ireland | -2 | 0 |
England | +1 | 0 |
North of England | -4 | -5 |
Midlands | -1 | +2 |
South of England | +6 | +1 |
London | +4 | +3 |
Source: BBC Accountability Tracker by Fifty5Blue (formerly Kantar Media). 2019/20: 9,853 UK adults 16+; 2025/26: 6,351 UK adults 16+.
Caters well for my nation/region
Audience portrayal perception gap % point difference versus UK average
| 2019/20 | 2025/26 | |
|---|---|---|
Scotland | -8 | -2 |
Wales | -5 | +2 |
Northern Ireland | -3 | -2 |
England | +2 | 0 |
North of England | -4 | -6 |
Midlands | +1 | +1 |
South of England | +7 | +2 |
London | +6 | +4 |
Source: BBC Accountability Tracker by Fifty5Blue (formerly Kantar Media). 2019/20: 9,853 UK adults 16+; 2025/26: 6,351 UK adults 16+.
For me
Audience portrayal perception gap % point difference versus UK average
| 2019/20 | 2025/26 | |
|---|---|---|
Scotland | -6 | -1 |
Wales | -3 | -2 |
Northern Ireland | -6 | -6 |
England | +1 | +1 |
North of England | -6 | -2 |
Midlands | +1 | +1 |
South of England | +7 | +2 |
London | +5 | +2 |
Source: BBC Accountability Tracker by Fifty5Blue (formerly Kantar Media). 2019/20: 9,853 UK adults 16+; 2025/26: 6,351 UK adults 16+.
