BBC's Question Time has come under fire after a man appeared in the show's audience for a reported third time.

Billy Mitchell appeared on the show on Thursday night when it aired from Motherwell, even asking the panel a question. 

The former UKIP candidate had previously featured on the show in Kilmarnock and Stirling.

Read more: BBC Question Time slammed after former UKIP candidate makes audience appearance for third time

HeraldScotland readers were quick to comment on the appearance of the self-dubbed 'Orange-Jacket Man".

Jason King commented: "The audience was not random, it was hand picked."

Writing in the HeraldScotland comment section, Malcolm Ross recalled seeing Mitchell in a previous episode: "Remembered him from the Kilmarnock one. Lot of people back then clearly not from local area. Same again last night."

Zander Tait added: "BBC Question Time, is a total disgrace."

Sam Neville commented: "QT is their game, ergo their rules. We must stop playing their games. This has to stop."

Hugh McGlone however took a different view, voicing his support for Mitchell's points, saying: "He is spot on. And the applause from the audience confirms what the majority of the Sottish public think about the SNP."

To gain a spot on the show, prospective guests must complete an application form and state whether they have previously been on the programme, and when.

For many, last night's episode brought the screening process into question.

Ian Mac wrote: "Question Time has a vetting process to stop membership of the public for not appearing on the show regularly. Obviously Billy is the exception."

Phil Docherty highlighted that the applications had to go through Mentorn Media, who produce Question Time.

He said: "Sorry but we live in a democracy. If the guy applies to go on the show and is accepted then that is up to the company Mentorn which owns and runs QT.

"Whether the guy is former member of UKIP or not is completely immaterial."

Some readers were not so caught up in Mitchell's appearance, but rather the content in the show.

Susan Randle said: "Never mind cries of "bias' and "it's no fair", why didn't Hyslop just answer the points raised? Surely, that's what she was there to do; that's why the programme is called "Question Time".

Perhaps surmarising the entire debate on the matter, Andrew Macaulay chimed in writing: "I'm a Unionist and Brexiteer.

"I've long given up expecting a fair and balanced media so I've never ever watched QT. I much prefer facts to opinions."

Alasdair MacKenzie concluded: "Question Time has never in its history properly represented Scottish politics; it simply does not understand that we are not a region of England and do not share their set of social values."