A BBC News presenter has received international attention after an incident live on air over the weekend. Martine Croxall altered the wording of a script during a live broadcast by changing the phrase “pregnant people” to “women” while reporting on a heatwave-related health study.
Croxall was reading out research findings from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, which warned of nearly 600 heat-related deaths expected in the UK amid high temperatures. When she came to a line advising which groups are most at risk, she initially said “pregnant people” as written on the autocue, then paused and amended the wording with an eye-roll.
The presenter said: “Malcolm Mistry, who was involved in the research, said the aged, pregnant people – women – and those with pre-existing health conditions need to take precautions.”
Among those who reacted was <em>Harry Potter</em> author and well-known women’s rights campaigner J.K. Rowling, who praised the presenter’s choice of words. “I have a new favourite BBC presenter,” Rowling wrote in a post on X after viewing the clip.
The veteran journalist acknowledged the public response later that day. On Sunday, Croxall <a href="https://x.com/MartineBBC/status/1936887746728980778/photo/1">posted </a>a message to her 66,000 followers on X saying: “A huge thank you to everyone who has chosen to follow me today for whatever reason. It’s been quite a ride…” She also indicated she was prepared to discuss the incident with her employer if necessary, writing that she was “braced” for a chat with BBC bosses should the matter be raised. As of Monday, the BBC had not announced any disciplinary action.
The BBC has since clarified that the contentious phrase came verbatim from the academic study being reported, rather than from the broadcaster’s own editorial wording. A BBC spokesperson told media that the line was “the phrasing used in the original report” and not something the BBC had composed, adding that the corporation has “no policy” mandating the use of that terminology.
According to <a href="https://www.thetimes.com/article/jk-rowling-praises-bbc-presenter-for-pregnant-women-correction-bln66603r">coverage</a> in <em>The Times</em>, the BBC does not have specific guidelines on gender-neutral terms, instead relying on context and its style guide’s general advice to use appropriate language, including a person’s preferred pronouns when relevant.
Croxall has worked at the BBC for over three decades. This is not the first time her on-air actions have made headlines. In late 2022, she was briefly taken off air after expressing apparent glee at a political development – commenting on Boris Johnson’s withdrawal from a leadership contest – a lapse that was deemed a breach of the BBC’s impartiality rules.
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