A BELOVED Jeremy Vine star has bagged their own BBC series – and it’s worlds away from the Channel 5 talk show.
Jeremy, 58, is joined by Storm Huntley on his self-titled Channel 5 show as well as a regular rotation of guest panellists.
One of these is comedian Geoff Norcott, with the former teacher sharing his opinions with the panel and viewers.
Now Geoff has landed his own show on BBC Two, a documentary called Is University Really Worth it?
Geoff, 47, was the first in his family to attend University. However, with everything he’s been hearing about the sector lately, he’s no longer sure a degree would be the right thing for his son.
This year, Geoff was going to start a college fund, but he also needs a new motor, so a tough decision needs to be made.
The documentary will see Geoff investigate the country’s higher education system to determine if getting a degree is value for money.
With student satisfaction at an all-time low, lecturers striking, online learning and reports of vastly inflated grades, Geoff hears from students who feel the University experience they were sold ended up being a nightmare.
Along the way, he meets students at war with their institutions, graduates locked in legal battles with their universities and struggling students having to survive off food banks.
He asks if our universities are still the world beating institutions they once were, or whether the system has become too focused on profit and not enough on students.
Despite the challenges, Geoff also meets those who still believe in our higher education system.
Students at Sheffield University say they’ve had an amazing experience and valued the new opportunities studying away from home brings.
He also hears about the positive impact a campus can have on local economies and important research partnerships between universities.
Obsessed with the idea that literally all young men should ‘get a trade’ Geoff visits a plumbing company in Hull who believe apprenticeships are the future.
During his teaching days, Geoff was all for getting his students to go to university.
Some twenty years down the line he wants to make sure that his well-intentioned advice didn’t ruin the lives of his students, who he gets to meet up with.
At the end Geoff will make his decision: new car with heated steering wheel and alloy wheels or start investing in his son’s education.
Speaking about his new documentary, Geoff said: “I’m delighted the BBC have given me another opportunity to put a bit of rigour into my partially informed polemical views.
“I wanted to understand why it is that loads of unis complain about lack of cash but there only ever seems to be more young people doing degrees.
“So how can you not make money when the number of clients only ever seem to go up? I needed to do some digging.”
This is Geoff’s second documentary for BBC Two following 2019’s How the Middle Class Ruined Britain.
Is University Really Worth it? is slated to air in March with date and time to be confirmed.
