Older women ‘disappear’ from BBC presenting roles, internal review finds

The Guardian - World NewsCenter-LeftEN 4 min read 100% complete by Michael Savage Media editorJanuary 30, 2026 at 07:00 AM

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long article 4 min

An internal BBC review found a significant disparity in the number of older male and female presenters, with older women "disappearing" from television roles. The review, conducted by Anne Morrison and Chris Banatvala, revealed that men over 50 significantly outnumbered women, and the gap widened further in older age brackets. The review heard that older men are often seen as gaining authority with age, while older women face pressure to maintain a youthful appearance or develop an "idiosyncratic persona." The review analyzed data from nearly 1,500 BBC presenters across various divisions. While the review did not find evidence of "systemic discrimination," critics like Harriet Harman argue that older women in broadcasting face both ageism and sexism.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Selina Scott 40% Channel Five 40% Ofcom 50% Anne Morrison 60% Chris Banatvala 60% Harriet Harman 70% BBC ×690%

Keywords

bbc 100% older women 90% ageism 80% presenting roles 80% sexism 70% older men 70% internal review 70% gender inequality 60% representation 60% media portrayal 50%

Sentiment Analysis

Negative

Score: -0.40

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Source

The Guardian - World News

Political Lean

Center-Left (-0.40)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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bbc older women ageism presenting roles sexism older men internal review gender inequality representation media portrayal

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