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Another TV presenter told she was not young or pretty enough for prime-time

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Another female TV presenter claims she was dropped from a BBC programme because she was not “young and pretty enough” to pass the prime-time test.

Charlotte Smith, 46, said she and three colleagues were ‘let go’ when the Countryfile programme moved to an evening slot from Sunday mornings.

Smith said the belief that she and colleagues Miriam O’Reilly, Juliet Morris and Michaela Strachan were dumped because of their age was held by others on their production team, reports the Evening Standard.

In a case which WVON has been following, the BBC head of rural affairs Andrew Thorman admitted the presenters had contributed to the high ratings which had led to the promotion of the show to a primetime slot.

He said presenters’ looks were considered: “It is TV and whether we like it or not it does play a role, but not a significant role that rules out all the other strengths or experience. I suspect that there was much more to it than how someone looked.” Yes, like they were female, vocal and not male.

  1. You do realise that you’ve put up a pic of Michaela Strachan, and not a pic of Charlotte Smith – the complainant?

    • Thanks, yes I did, unfortunately there wasn’t one of Charlotte Smith on the photography site we use. Michaela is one of the other women involved. Agree though it looks confusing.

  2. Lyndsey Booth says:

    I’m sure I am not the first to comment that it also leads to older women going for Botox and surgical procedures to stay on the TV. Is it just me looking too closely or are some of the younger women doing it as well-some of the female newsreaders look airbrushed and they are only in their 30’s. I saw that Fiona Bruce was reported allegedly worried that she might be considered old as she approaches 40.

    Some right ugly mug male correspondents on the BBC news these days. I doubt they would appreciate such sexist remarks (like mine here) about them.

  3. In a book I was reading recently there was a comment from a man who was meeting a woman on a blind date who said; ‘I would like to meet you before I cannot pick you out from a crowd’. The women on TV at the moment are beginning to morph into one person, and that person is an unhealthy weight, has a lollipop head and has really weird looking smooth skin. When you watch re-runs of 70s shows, like Top of the Pops you realise that once upon a time real women were allowed on TV – tall, short, fat, thin, normal.

  4. This (female ageism) always strikes me as a stupid decision by the BBC. Ignoring the experience issue (which we shouldn’t, more experience usually equals a better program), men of a similar age to these women (of which I am one) don’t want to gaze at young presenters endlessly put up to front programs. What is the demographic of this program? I can’t believe it is watched by the young and the beautiful !

    • Jane Osmond says:

      Hello Nickb

      A nice refreshing comment from a man and one which I really wish the makers of TV programmes would listen to. Unfortunately, programme makers appear to be spotty male youths who can only appreciate young pretty women; there is hardly a nod at catering for the over 30s, let along the over 40s, 50s and 60s. We just do not exist. Very frustrating indeed.

      • Jackie Gregory says:

        Hi – agree with all that is said, and I think Matari makes a good point, I’m increasingly bemused and concerned by how many young women strive to look the same, straightened hair, tan, polished nails, slim etc and then there is the too-thin celebs with their big handbags. All the wrinkled experience and the quirks that make an individual seem to be ironed out by this fakery and blandness. Women seem to be allowed a personality on radio but not TV

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