BBC Anchor’s On-Air Defiance Sparks Backlash—and Unexpected Support from Top Executives

So picture this: a seasoned BBC presenter, Martine Croxall, navigates the tricky waters of live broadcasting—and suddenly hits a linguistic speed bump with the phrase “pregnant people.” Instead of sticking strictly to the teleprompter, she throws in a quick correction to “women,” complete with a classic eye roll that’s just begging to become a meme. Now, why does a simple phrase ignite a social media frenzy, draw shoutouts from JK Rowling herself, and rack up nearly 50,000 new followers overnight? It turns out, in today’s media maze, even the choice of words can spark cultural moments as fierce as any headline. Is it about language evolving, or just good old-fashioned broadcasting honesty? Either way, BBC bigwigs seem pretty chill about it—which makes you wonder: when did a phrase become a mini soap opera? LEARN MORE

Bigwigs at the BBC have reportedly backed presenter Martine Croxall after she controversially corrected her phrasing during a live broadcast.

The journalist, 56, sparked quite the debate on social media after deviating from the script supplied by the teleprompter last Saturday (21 June).

She was referring to research conducted by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical about which vulnerable groups were most at risk from heat-related illnesses when the now-viral moment happened.

While reciting the contents of the study, Croxall appeared to come across a term which she had reservations about – ‘pregnant people’.

The mum-of-two, from Leicestershire, made her misgivings about the wording apparent during the live broadcast and quickly corrected herself to instead say ‘women’ while rolling her eyes.

“Malcom Mistry, who was involved in the research, says that the aged, pregnant people – women – and those with pre-existing health conditions need to take precautions,” Croxall told viewers.

Take a look at the moment here:

Famously anti-trans spokesperson and Harry Potter author JK Rowling dubbed Croxall her ‘new favourite BBC presenter’, while former Wimbledon star Martina Navratilova also expressed support for the news presenter online.

Croxall then reportedly gained almost 50,000 followers across her social media accounts, prompting her to thank viewers for throwing their weight behind her.

She wrote in a post on Twitter: “A huge thank you to everyone who has chosen to follow me today for whatever reason. It’s been quite a ride…”

In a subsequent post, Croxall also said she was ‘braced’ for a chat with her bosses should they raise an issue with her – but her superiors are said to have been ‘intensely relaxed’ about situation, according to The Times.

Croxall is understood to have received a lot of support from her colleagues (BBC)

The publication reported that the presenter, who has worked for the UK broadcaster since 1991, was approached about the matter ‘in a supportive way’.

“It’s a real cultural moment,” one of Croxall’s presenting colleagues said, while adding that there is a mass of support within the BBC for her using ‘honest language’ during the live news segment.

BBC chairman Samir Shah is understood to be in support of Croxall, The Times reported.

It is thought to come as a result of the Supreme Court’s ruling back in April regarding the legal definition of a woman, which decided it is based on a person’s biological sex.

In wake of this, the BBC said it was working out how to adapt to this as a broadcaster.

The BBC News presenter, 56, gained thousands of followers on social media after the footage of her segment went viral (X/@MartineBBC)

“In our news reporting, we always aim to deal with issues fairly and impartially, and this is informed by our editorial guidelines,” it explained.

“BBC News is assessing the ruling to consider any updates which might need to be made to the style guide as a result.”

Croxall has been outspoken about her opinion on gender and biological sex in the past, saying that she believes ‘sex is binary and immutable’ during a debate with a trans activist following the Supreme Court ruling.

The term ‘pregnant people’ is intentionally gender-neutral, and has been increasingly used in public discourse to ensure inclusivity for non-binary and transgender individuals.

However, anti-trans organisations and individuals have notably been quite vocal about their disapproval on this.

The BBC previously told LADbible that it had ‘no policy on using the wording’, while clarifying: “The phrase ‘pregnant people’ was the phrasing used in the original report rather than something the BBC had written.”