''The Pledge'' is a panel discussion programme broadcast on

Sky News Sky News is a British free-to-air television news channel, live stream news network and news organisation. Sky News is distributed via an English-language radio news service, and through online channels. It is owned by Sky Group, a division of ...

. There are currently ten panellists, five of whom appear on the show each week. They discuss a variety of topics – there is no presenter, so each panellist champions a topic which is then debated. The programme was first announced in April 2016, and the first episode aired later that month, on 21 April 2016. The show is known for at times being controversial, and debates often get heated. ''The Pledge'' is currently not on air having been suspended in March 2020 due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

. It is currently unknown when or if the show will return.

Format

Each show comprises five panellists from various professions in the entertainment and journalism industries. Each panellist chooses a subject, then clearly states their argument before passing it to the table. The panellists are then given the chance to challenge the person if they disagree and debate it. Topics discussed cover topical issues in the news such as politics and current affairs.

Broadcasts

''The Pledge'' is pre-recorded on a Thursday in Studio F at

Sky Campus Sky Studios (also known as Sky Campus) is the headquarters of satellite broadcaster Sky Group, Sky, and home to much of its programming output. The Isleworth campus consists of nine buildings plus ancillary structures, with three of those bui ...

Osterley Osterley ( ) is an affluent district of Isleworth in west London, England, from Charing Cross in the London Borough of Hounslow. Most of its land use is mixed agricultural and aesthetic parkland at Osterley House (National Trust), charity-r ...

, and then broadcast on Thursdays at 8pm on Sky News. It is also broadcast on Sundays at 8pm as well as at other times during the week to fill slots.

Current panel

List in alphabetical order. * Lord Karan Bilimoria, entrepreneur and founder of

Cobra Beer Cobra Beer is a beer brand manufactured in the United Kingdom. The group's primary product is a Beer#"Premium"_beers, premium beer with an alcohol strength of 4.5% by volume (originally 4.8%). The beer was founded in 1989 by Karan Bilimoria, Bar ...

* ‘Big’ Phil Campion, former SAS trooper and author * Michelle Dewberry, businesswoman and winner of '' The Apprentice'' *

Greg Dyke Gregory Dyke (born 20 May 1947) is a British media executive, football administrator, journalist and broadcaster. Since the 1960s, Dyke has had a long career in the UK in print and then broadcast journalism. He is credited with introducing " t ...

, former TV executive and FA chairman *

Nick Ferrari Nicolo Ferrari (born 31 January 1959) is a British right-wing conservative radio host, television presenter and broadcast journalist. He lives in Lewisham in London. He is best known as the host of the weekday breakfast show on the London-based ...

, radio talk show host on ''

LBC LBC (originally the London Broadcasting Company) is a British phone-in and talk radio station owned and operated by Global and based in its headquarters in London. It was the UK's first licensed commercial radio station, and began to broadc ...

'' *

Afua Hirsch Afua Hirsch Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, FRSL (born 1981) is a British writer and broadcaster. She has worked as a journalist for ''The Guardian'' newspaper, and was the Social Affairs and Education Editor for Sky News from 2014 un ...

, writer and journalist (former Social Affairs and Education Editor at Sky News) *

Rachel Johnson Rachel Sabiha Johnson (born 3 September 1965) is a British journalist, television presenter, and author who has appeared frequently on political discussion panels, including ''The Pledge (British TV programme), The Pledge'' on Sky News and BBC ...

, novelist and journalist *

Carole Malone Carole Anne Malone (born 14 October 1954) is an English TV presenter, journalist, newspaper columnist and broadcaster. She appears regularly on television and radio, and writes a column for the Daily Express. Career Malone was born on 14 Octob ...

, TV presenter, broadcaster and journalist *

Maajid Nawaz Maajid Usman Nawaz (; born 2 November 1977) is a British activist and former radio presenter. He was the founding chairman of the think tank Quilliam. Until January 2022, he was the host of an LBC radio show on Saturdays and Sundays. Born in ...

, columnist, broadcaster and politician * Femi Oluwole, political campaigner *

Trevor Phillips Sir Mark Trevor Phillips (born 31 December 1953) is a British writer, broadcaster and former politician who served as Chair of the London Assembly from 2000 to 2001 and from 2002 to 2003. He presented ''Sophy Ridge on Sunday, Trevor Phillips ...

, broadcaster and writer * June Sarpong, TV presenter and pro-EU campaigner * Rachel Shabi, journalist

Original panel

List in alphabetical order. *

Emma Barnett Emma Barnett (born 5 February 1985) is a British broadcaster and journalist who presented ''Woman's Hour'' on BBC Radio 4 from 2021 until 2024. Barnett worked for BBC Radio 5 Live for six years, beginning in 2014, after three years working for ...

, broadcaster and journalist *

James Caan James Edmund Caan ( ; March 26, 1940 – July 6, 2022) was an American actor. He came to prominence playing Sonny Corleone in ''The Godfather'' (1972), for which he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, Academy Award an ...

, entrepreneur and former '' Dragons’ Den'' investor * Michelle Dewberry *

, journalist *

Graeme Le Saux Graeme Pierre Le Saux ( ; born 17 October 1968) is an English former professional footballer and television pundit. As a versatile left sided player he played most of his career at left back with two spells at Chelsea, Blackburn Rovers, Southamp ...

, former Chelsea and England footballer * Baroness Mone, Baroness of Mayfair and entrepreneur * June Sarpong

Transmissions

Series

References

External links

Sky NewsThe Pledge (Facebook)The Pledge (Twitter)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pledge, The 2016 British television series debuts 2020 British television series endings 2020s British television series Sky News British English-language television shows Sky News television news shows