The BBC, the most mainstream of mainstream media outlets, has been caught up in a “fake news” controversy after reporting that Christmas was set to be cheaper than ever – only to decide just three days later that costs had in fact rocketed, with Britain’s vote to leave the European Union firmly in the frame. BBC reports Christmas 2016 “cheapest ever”. Reports same data again three days later, but says #Brexit has put up Christmas costs. #FakeNews pic.twitter.com/qu5dBtifEu — Jack Montgomery (@JackBMontgomery) December 16, 2016 The original story, published on November 30th by Personal Finance reporter Brian Milligan, reported brightly that “Christmas 2016 may be the cheapest ever”. It cited research by Good Housekeeping, which has been publishing a Christmas dinner index since 2009. Tracking eleven essential ingredients, Good Housekeeping calculated that a family of six could tuck in for as little as £2.48 per head this year, provided they shopped around for the best prices. If buying all the items at a single store, shoppers would get their best deal at low-cost retailer Aldi, where they could gather all the necessaries for just £22.03. Milligan also cited separate research on Christmas trees, which can be bought for a mere eighth