Change UK has written to the BBC to call for a full explanation of the decision not to air an episode of Have I Got News For You featuring its interim leader, Heidi Allen, claiming the broadcaster was providing Nigel Farage with unduly favourable coverage.

The newly formed party also raised concerns over the fairness of the BBC’s coverage of Change UK and demanded an urgent review of the decision to “exclude” them from a BBC Wales election debate on Sunday before the European elections.

Change UK’s campaign coordinator, Chris Leslie, raised concerns and referred to Nigel Farage’s appearance on Have I Got News For You in 2014 in the run-up to the EU parliament elections, although it was unclear if this fell within the pre-election period.

“Britain’s politics is broken and if we’re going to fix it, people need a chance to hear from the full range of parties standing in the upcoming European elections – including Change UK with our support for a people’s vote and remain,” Leslie, the former Labour MP, wrote in a letter to the BBC director general, Tony Hall.

“The BBC has a crucial role as our national broadcaster, but we’re worried that over the past week, it’s got a couple of big calls wrong. This is particularly concerning given that similar decision about Nigel Farage’s appearances over the years appear to have gone the other way.

“Today, we’re asking the BBC to look again and make sure it’s not doing British voters a disservice by giving some parties more favourable treatment than others.

“I am specifically asking that you urgently review your decision to bar our party from the BBC Wales election candidates’ debate, due to take place tomorrow [Sunday] morning. For your BBC Wales team to exclude Change UK in particular … is deeply unfair and will limit debate rather than allow it.”

On Friday evening, the BBC One comedy quiz show tweeted:

Sorry everyone. The BBC have pulled tonight’s edition of #HIGNFY - no, we didn’t book Danny Baker. We booked Heidi Allen, a member of a party no-one knows the name of (not even the people in it), because the Euro elections, which nobody wants, may or may not be happening.

Sorry. — Have I Got News For You (@haveigotnews) May 10, 2019

The BBC referred to its editorial guidelines and said it would look to broadcast the episode at a later date. “It would be inappropriate to feature political party leaders on entertainment programmes during this short election period, which does not allow for equal representation to be achieved.”

It came after Farage, leader of the Brexit partymade his 33rd appearance as a panellist on BBC1’s Question Time on Thursday. Allen, the MP for South Cambridgeshire, tweeted: “Maybe I’m just not as funny as Nigel Farage eh? He’s so funny, he seems to be on the BBC all the time!

“An explanation would be appreciated, not least to acknowledge the hard work of the entire crew who worked diligently to put the show together.”