Fiona Bruce became the first female presenter to be part of the BBC general election results programme. In 2006, following a court case whereby British Airways requested that a Christian employee conceal her cross because it infringed the airline's dress code, the BBC disclosed it had some concerns over the fact that Fiona Bruce often wore a cross necklace although she was not banned from doing so. In December 2018 it was confirmed that Bruce would become the new host of "Question Time," following the departure of long-time host David Dimbleby. Her first appearance was scheduled for 10 January 2019, the debut
Question Time (TV programme) fully networked within BBC, with Scotland and Northern Ireland broadcasting the series from this point onwards. "Question Time" began with a panel of four guests, usually one member from each of the three major parties (Conservatives, Labour and Liberal Democrats) and another public figure, for example non-governmental organisation directors, newspaper columnists, or religious leaders. In 1998, the panel was enlarged to five, with another non-partisan member or leading member of a fourth political party joining the panel. The presenter now sits in the middle and chairs the debate, deciding who can speak on the panel and bringing audience members into