BBC axed me for not being pretty enough: Countryfile star told 'You're too old for prime-time TV'
By Paul Harris and Liz Thomas
10th November 2010
A BBC presenter yesterday told how she was axed from CountryFile at 44 because she was not ‘young and pretty’ enough for prime-time TV.
Charlotte Smith told a tribunal she was warned by one of the show’s directors that she was too old and not sufficiently attractive.
She and colleagues Miriam O’Reilly, now 53, Juliet Morris, 55, and Michaela Strachan, 44, were dropped from the Sunday morning show when it was relaunched and moved to a prime-time evening slot in 2009.
Giving evidence at a tribunal brought by Miss O’Reilly against the BBC for age and sex discrimination, Mrs Smith said she felt they were dropped from the show because they were ‘older women’.
‘There was a general feeling among the staff that the four women presenters had been badly treated and we could have fitted in with the new prime-time programme.
‘I heard in November or December 2009 that there was a shortage of presenters on Countryfile.
‘I laughingly said that I might be available and I was told by a member of the team that while I might be able to do the job I wouldn’t pass the prime-time test because I wasn’t young and pretty.’ She named the team member as Sam Bailey, one of the show’s directors.
Mrs Smith, who has always worked at the BBC and hosts Farming Today on Radio 4, said the attitude was reflective of the organisation.
‘It was obviously discussed a lot by members of the team and the comment was a reflection of what they thought the BBC corporate wanted. I do believe that the BBC decided to remove us from Countryfile because we were older women.
‘They wanted that programme to feel and look younger and they felt they could not do that with us.’
Andrew Thorman, head of rural affairs for the BBC, told the hearing the ‘impetus’ to hire ‘higher-profile’ presenters came from Jay Hunt, then BBC1 controller.
Miss Hunt has since left the Corporation for Channel 4. Mrs O’Reilly has accused her of sacking the older female presenters because ‘she hated women’.
Mr Thorman said Miss Hunt told him she wanted to attract younger viewers to the show, mainly watched by the over-55s. He said hiring hosts Matt Baker, 32, and Julia Bradbury, 39, ‘was a deliberate policy to help us broaden the appeal of the programme’.
The show also has reports from John Craven, Katie Knapman, Jules Hudson, Ben Fogle, and James Wong.
Mrs Smith said: ‘I don’t feel that they are doing anything I am not capable of.’
Mr Thorman initially insisted he and Miss Hunt had put together six criteria detailing what they wanted from the hosts of prime-time Countryfile.
But he said Miss Hunt had made it clear she did not feel Mrs O’Reilly and Mrs Smith had the ‘necessary profile’ for a prime-time show.
He later conceded both women had only been discussed briefly – despite admitting ‘they played a huge part in the success’ of Countryfile in the mornings.
Questioned by Mrs O’Reilly’s representative, Heather Williams, QC, Mr Thorman denied ‘age or sex’ came into the decision to axe her. He later said: ‘To some extent appearance is TV.’
Miss Williams said: ‘There are many male presenters who are balding, wrinkled, a little overweight – or more – but it is only in relation to women that it is important.’
Mr Thorman said he was ‘not qualified to comment’.
Miss Hunt takes the stand today. The tribunal continues.
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