Presenter Carol Vorderman Says BBC Decision To Fire Her Over Political Tweets Was “Sexist”
UK TV and radio presenter Carol Vorderman has accused her former employer the BBC of “sexism” over its decision to fire her over her use of social media “sexist.”
Vorderman presented a show on Radio Wales until November 2023, when the BBC axed her program, saying she had broken the corporation’s rules on presenters’ use of social media, following a series of anti-Conservative government messages on X (formerly Twitter).
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In an interview with The Times of London, Vorderman claims there was a discrepancy in the treatment given to her and to the BBC’s high-profile newsreader Huw Edwards, who was arrested around the same time, but allowed to keep his job and salary. He was off air at the time due to his poor mental health, and resigned from the BBC in April. He later pled Guilty to charges of making indecent images on his phone, and will be sentenced later this month.
Vorderman told The Times she had been warned to be quiet by BBC bosses before they pulled the plug on her show, a move she calls “sexist,” saying:
“The feedback I got was the very top echelons were very bothered about what I was doing. It was… ‘You shut up or we’ll sack you.’ Well, f***ing sack me then.”
“BBC management made two decisions about two presenters within 24 hours. One was to sack me for five innocuous tweets. The other, knowing the serious nature of Huw’s arrest, was to keep him on and carry on paying his salary. I mean … no sexism!”
A BBC spokesperson said at the time of Vorderman’s departure: “The BBC published its new Social Media Guidance last September which strike a balance between the BBC’s commitment to impartiality and freedom of expression. The guidance sets out clear expectations for freelancers, which includes a particular responsibility to uphold civility in public discourse.”
Vorderman, a longtime UK TV presenter and maths whiz on quiz show Countdown, has a following of nearly a million on X and began being more vocally anti-government during the lockdown of 2020, calling out public figures for alleged corruption.
She told The Times: “If a man — a legitimate, intelligent person who has worked with the government — criticises someone he’s courageous. But I’m a woman and working class, so I’m a crazy cat lady.”
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