Speaking out: Joan Bakewell has criticised the '30-somethings' who run the television industry

Dame Joan Bakewell has attacked ageism in television, saying that the industry is dominated by the 'hideously young'.

The 75-year-old presenter claimed that while twenty-somethings answering to 40-year-olds were rife, anyone over 50 lived in fear of redundancy.

She said the problem was particularly pronounced for female presenters – adding that the only time TV executives came into contact with older women was when they spent time with their mothers.

Dame Joan made her comments after a string of former BBC faces – including Kate Adie, Anna Ford and Selina Scott – accused TV of discriminating against mature women.

Miss Scott is taking Channel Five to court for age discrimination, claiming it went back on a deal that she would cover Natasha Kaplinsky's maternity leave.

Dame Joan said she would 'rejoice' if the case forced the industry to take charges of ageism seriously.

In a newspaper article, she wrote: 'Where today are the wrinkly female equivalents of Trevor McDonald and Peter Sissons, Nick Owen and Jon Snow?

'Kirsty Wark stands alone and she, after all, is merely middle-aged. Older women are missing from news and current affairs. Why do older women lose out?

'Television is a hideously young business. It's run by people in their 20s and 30s answering to executives in their 40s, while those in their 50s are looking over their shoulder in fear of early redundancy.

'The only people of 60 they know are their mothers. It is a world besotted with finding new formats and new stars to catch the attention of fickle 15-to-25-year-olds who'd rather be out getting wasted.

'They seem unaware of the huge potential audience of older people who don't go out at night and enjoy programmes that call for sustained attention and don't rot the brain.'

She said an entire section of the population – women over 55 – 'never see their like on serious programming'.

In the article for The Guardian, Dame Joan added that she had once been dropped as a presenter for 'demographic' reasons, adding she felt there was 'poison' in that word.

In recent months, Dame Joan has become a champion for the elderly.

Earlier this year she appealed against a parking ticket she incurred after becoming confused by a high-tech pay-by-phone system.

She said her refusal to pay the fine was a 'stand for the elderly' against councils which run the world 'as if we are all 25-year-old men who are brilliant with gizmos'.