Morning:
6°c
She was once the “golden girl” of the BBC. But a quarter of a century on, Selina Scott has declared outright war on her former employers after a bitter “final rejection” at the hands of the Corporation that once cherished her talents.
The 59-year-old former Breakfast Time presenter has sent an “exhaustive” dossier detailing the “blatant and malign” ageist sexism directed at on-screen women, to Sir Michael Lyons, the chairman of the BBC Trust.
The dossier was compiled with the help of charity Age UK and campaigning law firm Equal Justice.
The Trust — the body charged with representing the interests of licence payers, which has seven women and five men on its board — said it was happy to meet Age UK and Scott to discuss the report.
Scott, who now sells mohair socks from her Yorkshire farm, says she was driven to act by the ever-increasing “obsession with youth and the rejection of older women in television”.
The report will increase the pressure on the BBC after a series of high-profile departures. In the most celebrated example, widely admired newsreader Moira Stuart was dropped from BBC news in 2007 at the age of 58 after 34 years at the Corporation.
Her departure was widely seen as a glaring example of ageism that came to haunt the BBC.
Last year suspicions that the BBC is fundamentally biased against women over 50 were reignited when the then 66-year-old dancer Arlene Phillips was replaced by 30-year-old Alesha Dixon on the judging panel of Strictly Come Dancing.
Others whose employment prospects at the BBC are seen to have suffered because of age rather than lack of talent include pioneering newsreaders Anna Ford and Angela Rippon.
The 52-year-old former Countryfile presenter Miriam O'Reilly is pursuing a tribunal case after she was dropped from the programme in February.
Today entertainer Bruce Forsyth, 82, joined the debate, saying in an interview that “ageism against women on TV is terrible”.
Scott said was standing up for older women on TV despite being told “I'll be forever treated as a leper by the broadcast industry because of my audacity in standing up for myself”.
She said she was determined to fight on because of the “disregarding, unthinking almost casual maiming which leaves women like me with their confidence and career in tatters but which is done in a sly and almost Machiavellian way”.
The slighting of older women by broadcasters is “insidious, cowardly and unworthy of the great traditions of a public broadcaster like the BBC”, she concluded.
Reader views (23)
The BBC is hopelessly out of date in everything it does. In sport its commentators have not even grasped its television, so we can see as much as what is going on as they can. The World cup, tennis, golf are totally ruined by telling us what we had just seen. It even takes two to read the news. Dumbed down BBC if it talking about government spending cuts, is just as likely to show someone cutting the lawn, so we can grasp what a cut is. The license fee should be cut by half then perhaps then they will at least get rid of the vast army of overpaid advisers, celebrates and executives.
- ALAN,, ENGLAND, 15/07/2010 11:29
Report abuse
The point everyone seems to be missing here (apart from Sam in the U.S.) is that male newsreaders are kept on well past their sell by date whilst women are not. That is Selina Scott's objection. She is not bleating on about losing her own job. She is making a very valid point that why should female TV journalists/presenters be kicked off the Beeb at or after a certain age and yet male ones seem to have an endless career? And in response to Stephen, as a woman I would much rather see an old bird with a balanced view and life experience reading the news than a old, bald biased man (wearing make up!) on TV.
- Stella, London, UK, 15/07/2010 07:29
Report abuse
There comes a time when you have to go. In banking almost nobody gets beyond 55. Why should it be different at the BBC? A few idiots in braces get to keep their jobs well past their sell by date (in the US at least!), but really it should be obvious going into these highly paid celebrity jobs that there is a time limit. She is too long in the tooth and wrinkles for the job that she had and that's it. Some jobs pay X for 40 years and others 2X for 20. You can't expect 2X for 40! That's greedy and stupid.
- coylum, Vancouver, Canada, 15/07/2010 06:55
Report abuse
I am sorry to say i never rated Selina as a very good news reader even in her younger days. She lacked passion in her voice and was a turn off for me. So why she is bleating so vociferously now she is in her dotage is a mystery. Perhaps she thinks too much of herself. Ageism is not the issue!
- Duncan, France, 14/07/2010 20:48
Report abuse
These presenters would have you believe that once they are hired they must remain with their jobs until they die. Sorry, that is not the real world Selena, and just like how you were hired at a young age and others presenters were passed bye, your time has come. Its unfair to new presenters entering the field when people near retirement age are forcing their employers to hire them as I am sure they have all earned good money over the years and dont need the work to get bye.
- Dirk Diggler, Soho, London UK, 14/07/2010 20:39
Report abuse
If this woman is old then Bruce Forsyth must be prehistoric..
- Kc, LondonBoy, 14/07/2010 19:14
Report abuse
If this woman is old then Bruce Forsyth must be prehistoric.
- Kc, LondonBoy, 14/07/2010 19:11
Report abuse
She's passed it. I want to see new faces, new talent. Why should these overpaid clothes - horses have a job for life. She should be grateful for the 30 mins of fames she's had. Enough Salina, the BBC money pool for you has dried up.
- Graim, London, 14/07/2010 18:09
Report abuse
Selina is a beautiful lightweight, not much more, and has no gravitas. She has chosen to become a victim. Same with Anna Ford. They start grumbling about ageism a little late in life. Ageism catches up with all of us if we chose to be employed as most of us get forcibly retired at 65 Selina, you're almost 60, get used to it. I imagine that in the good days you chose not to be an employee but to be self employed for tax reasons. Well one of the trade offs is that you don't have security to the age of 65 like ordinary employees, you just go from contract to contract. Tough!
Now if you're looking for beauty, intelligence and gravitas, step forward Joanna Lumley. Haven't heard her grumbling about her age and we can't get enough of her. And she does a huge amount of good for no fee.
- Stephen C, London, 14/07/2010 17:27
Report abuse
I notice that ageism--and it does exist--doesn't seem to affect men. And why should it? They invented it as an end result of their view of women. Here in the states we see all sorts of nasty older men who should be given the boot.They are just ridiculous sitting there trying to impress the young women by their side. We need equal-opportunity ageism.
- sam, Manhattan, USA, 14/07/2010 16:48
Report abuse
Compare the treatment of women with that of John Craven who has been boring people for years
- Pete, Norwich, 14/07/2010 16:44
Report abuse
I do hope that Selena Scott would not consider it sexist if I said that she still looks good to me. I would be happy to offer consolation for her disappointments with a shared bottle of something in lovely riverside Old Isleworth!
- Miguel M, Old Isleworth, 14/07/2010 16:39
Report abuse
I wonder if Selina feels sorry for the oldsters punted out of the way to make room for her and her ilk back in the 70s?
- Anonymous pedant, Chiswick, 14/07/2010 16:39
Report abuse
selina scott was never a serious journalist she was always light weight she had no gravitas now if you said"Kate Aidy" you are talking about a serious journalist
- anon leicestershire, leicestershire, 14/07/2010 16:31
Report abuse
I didn't notice Selina objecting to the lack of young men employed as news readers when she was in her prime, except of course for the obligatory PC Ethnic. She can't really object when males in an older age range are preferred, who often have had a real life experience as reporters, often in rather dangerous overseas assignments. Terry Wogan said its money for old rope anyhow.
- Fred, Horsham, 14/07/2010 16:26
Report abuse
Re.Carl's comments, money is not the issue, Selina Scott is saying that journalists are much more in a position to see an issue objectively and see certain issues on a deeper level through life experience and actually knowing a bit about the world. Modeling is based entirely on looks - models are not exactly known for their high IQ's - so therefore if,as a girl in her early 30's, I want to watch a news programme, I prefer to watch it being hosted by someone who has seen more than than MTV Cribs re-runs or a few years at Uni and knows what they're talking about!!
- Rochelle, London, 14/07/2010 16:04
Report abuse
Having worked in the industry, I'd say its more a case of the middle-aged men running it being desperate to be seen to be cool and trying to cling on to their own youth. Their obsession with youth programmes and youthful presenters is a pathetic attempt to massage their own ageing egos.
They have thrown pots of licence-fee payer's money at creating youth programmes in a futile attempt to draw a young audience. It doesn't seem to occur to them that most young people are out and about enjoying themselves and are not indoors to watch tv. So they waste money and neglect the very audience who are stuck at home, the older generation. These middle aged men now discard the likes of Serina Scott and Anna Ford because they no longer fit the idea that boosted their egos - namely, the thinking man's crumpet. Yet, as older women they are still sexy, sensuous and intelligent. But of course, the men are too busy dissing them and self-obsessing with their own fears of lost youth such are the liomkitations of their own thinking.
- Janet, London, UK, 14/07/2010 15:42
Report abuse
Selina Scott always seemed to me to be an intelligent presenter whose age ought to have been immaterial. TV may have "sold" her on her looks, but I do not think that is something she particularly desired or for which she should take blame. The standard of broadcasting seemed higher to me in her day and some of the younger presenters of today could do worse than take lessons from her. If she wishes to pursue a case against the BBC good luck to her.
- James Elliott, Eastbourne UK, 14/07/2010 15:26
Report abuse
Apologies L.Bassett, I was forgetting that Selina Scott was a journalist and not just a mere run of the mill 'celebrity'. In my view a very easy mistake to make. My analogy may not have been the most appropriate but the Sword of Damacles hangs over us all and age will beat the very best of us in the end!
Selina Scott sold herself on her looks (something I'm sure she would refute), as do the vast majority of personalities that we have to endure on our screens (I guess there was a possibility that her huge success was based on them); I'm therefore at a loss as to understand why she might feel she has reason of complaint when the very thing that gave her her success has finally failed her. The same applies here to men and women of our screens - I don't wish to be accused of being sexist - you'd hardly call Roger Moore out of retirement to play the next Bond (or would you?)
- Carl, London, 14/07/2010 14:40
Report abuse
Who wants to see a load of old birds on TV?
At least I don't have to look at the very talented Moira Stuart now she's on Radio 2.
Selina can always get a part in Last of the Summer Wine. Oh sorry. It's been axed. Or maybe Babe Station. They seem to do a roaring trade on employing the older model.
(I'm being ironic by the way.)
- stephen, london England, 14/07/2010 14:30
Report abuse
Carl - what a ridiculous argument.
Modelling and journalism are NOT the same thing. Brains and experience in some fields are much more important than a couple of facial lines... and I'm sick of the 'younger, fresher' faces with no life experience trying to cobble together half intelligent questions.
There's room for talent of ALL ages, but to have complete generations of women completely unrepresented on television is truly offensive.
Frankly in any other industry it would be illegal.
- L. Bassett, London, 14/07/2010 14:08
Report abuse
I do find it a little bit desperate of this ilk of minor celebrity. Selina was very good, but surely she has had a very good and highly paid career, and doesnt really need to go to the lengths of losing all of her self-respect by launching law suits for "agism". It seems that once a person has been on TV or in the media, they develop an unhealthy obsession with being in the public eye and will go to all lengths to stay there.
For one so ladylike, this is a little bit tasteless.
- Andrew, Tel Aviv, Israel, 14/07/2010 14:07
Report abuse
Television dictates that it's programmes appeal to the masses and is not simply there to pander to the highly paid talent it employs. It needs to remain current and fresh. Particular talent (and I suspect their ages) will obviously have to fit in with whatever is en vogue at any time... an analogy could be drawn in the modelling world - does anyone really think that a supermodel would still be commanding huge salaries when they are in their 60s? - of course not! A quick search will reveal that Selina Scott was, at her height, being paid in excess of £1m a year (something I'm sure the Standard would have baulked at). I also believe she was "paid off" by Channel 5 over an age discrimination case and reached settlement for (aka "won") a cool £250,000.
If our TVs were full of oldies, there would be no new "talent" (in the loosest sense of the word) coming through, thus discriminating against youth.
Can I suggest that this one dimensional woman stay on her farm making mohair socks - I'm sure she has enough money in the bank to cope. Someone of her advancing years should know better!
- Carl, London, 14/07/2010 13:53
Report abuse
