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Question Time to have Twitter panellist
David Dimbleby returns to host Question Time on Thursday
A sixth panellist is to join the line-up of Question Time to "tweet" their opinions during the BBC's political discussion programme.
A new Twitter account, @bbcextraguest, has been created, which will be used by the panellist to respond in real time to the views of the guests on air.
The show has used the social networking site to request suggestions for guests for the programme.
Ideas have included broadcaster Stephen Fry and comedian Russell Brand.
A tweet from the Extra Guest account this week thanked users for their suggestions, saying that "certain names have come up a lot more than others".
Question Time, which returns to BBC One on Thursday, previously featured text messages from viewers using the same publishing system as Ceefax.
The BBC's Ceefax service is due to end in October when the last analogue transmitters are decommissioned.
The official @bbcquestiontime Twitter account has more than 120,000 followers.
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Comment number 222.
ObjectiveSee26th September 2012 - 16:27
To make it fair other panelists should have to answer in 140 characters or less also. It would soon sharpen up MP's dreary replies to the public's questions. Who knows, we might even get an answer out of them instead of spin.
Link to this (Comment number 222)
Comment number 145.
yottskry26th September 2012 - 13:30
"people seriously need to get a life instead of living their life through social media"
I would suggest you don't fully understand the enfranchisement twitter provides. How else could I have near-realtime dialogue with John Prescott as I recently did? While it does provide an outlet for "random thoughts" it also allows for meaningful contact with those in charge.
Link to this (Comment number 145)
Comment number 143.
John26th September 2012 - 13:29
How is this going to work? Question Time usually isn't live so all the tweets will come out on twitter before the show then we'll have to work out afterwards what was tweeted at what part of the show. Or maybe there is just no need to watch the show if the gist of it can be picked up by tweets.
Link to this (Comment number 143)
Comment number 141.
Rob26th September 2012 - 13:27
At least it'll be possible to see all of the questions being directed to them, get to compare them to the questions actually being asked by the extra guest.
Proof of cherry-picked questions will never be easier to obtain.
Link to this (Comment number 141)
Comment number 129.
Dave66626th September 2012 - 13:19
The insistence of the use of twitter merely panders to the metropolitan elites.
Link to this (Comment number 129)
Comments 5 of 13