Tory leadership rivals Kemi Badenoch and Robert Jenrick will NOT take part in a BBC debate as talks collapse after party bosses “wanted to charge £10 a ticket”.

A planned BBC debate between the two Tory leadership candidates will not go ahead after talks broke down.

Kemi Badenoch and Robert Jenrick have been invited to appear on a Question Time special next week as they bid to replace Rishi Sunak as Leader of the Opposition.

But according to the broadcaster, Ms Badenoch’s team declined the invitation, pointing to the strict rules set for the leadership contest by party bosses.

This includes any live audience for a televised debate made up of people who have a vote in the contest, who are only members of the Conservative Party.

The BBC said this would not be “in compliance” with its obligations as a public service broadcaster and therefore did not agree to the event going ahead.

It has also been revealed how party bosses wanted to charge £10 per ticket for the event, which the BBC refused to allow.

According to the BBC, Kemi Badenoch’s team declined the invitation as they pointed to the strict rules set for the leadership competition by party bosses.

The broadcaster said Robert Jenrick was willing to attend the Question Time special, which will be hosted by Fiona Bruce, but Badenoch was not.

It means yesterday’s event on GB News is likely to be the only televised debate between Badenoch and Jenrick during the Tory leadership election.

It is also reported that another event planned, which will be presented by the newspaper The Sun.

The BBC confirmed last night that it had not reached an agreement with Tory officials to host a leadership debate.

A BBC statement said: “For this program to be viable, Conservative Central Office would have to agree that the audience must comply with the BBC’s duties as a public service broadcaster, which are not the same as for a party event.

“We regret that we have not yet been able to reach an agreement on this, as the Leader of the Opposition is an important role with significance outside the Conservative Party.”

In an online article by the BBC’s political editor Chris Mason, the broadcaster said Mr Jenrick was willing to attend the Question Time special, which was due to be presented by Fiona Bruce, but Badenoch no

A Badenoch campaign source pointed to leadership contest rules which state that “all candidates will have to agree not to take part in any televised calls between candidates unless directed to do so by the party chairman”.

It was reported separately this week that the BBC had rejected a proposal by the Conservative Party to charge audience members a “small fee” of £10 per ticket.

A Conservative Campaign Headquarters (CCHQ) source told the Telegraph that the technique had a “marked effect” in reducing the number of no-shows in the party’s 2022 leadership quest between Liz Truss and Sunak.

But the BBC refused to allow it, arguing that it would be a breach of practice.

A BBC source said: “They wanted to charge for attendance but that is completely against our practice.”

Last night’s GB News program saw Ms Badenoch and Mr Jenrick answer questions from members of the public, but the rivals did not debate each other directly.

During the programme, Ms Badenoch denied a suggestion she was “running scared”.

Challenged by the perception that Jenrick’s rival had been more prominent during the Tory contest with regular speeches and TV and radio interviews, Ms Badenoch replied: “I’m not in the media just for the sake of being in the media.”

“I go to the media when I have something to say. That’s how we want it.

“I don’t think anyone thinks I’m afraid of scrutiny. I had it every day as an MP and as a minister.’