[interestednovice]

Yes; as I say, they are inextricably linked to the image of the BBC. That’s partly why their pay deals are thought of as “golden handcuffs”.

I suppose the point is that they have a public platform in the first place partly, or even largely, because of their “status” of working for the BBC. Therefore, even when tweeting personally, to some extent it is “as if the BBC itself is tweeting”. They are viewed by the public as an extension of the BBC. Rules pertaining to BBC executives, etc, also then apply to them.

Despite the fact they are not employed by the BBC on an exclusive basis, they are very much fundamentally linked to the BBC. Any other work therefore cannot come into conflict with their BBC work, and any personal views cannot be allowed to reflect on the BBC. Again, it’s as if they are an “extension” of the BBC’s own brand.