The BBC has backed its newsreader Martine Croxall after vision of her correcting her autocue and changing the words “pregnant people” to “women”.
In a weekend live broadcast, Croxall paused mid-sentence and seemed to express her disbelief by rolling her eyes when she read a quote from a study using the term “pregnant people.”
Croxall was quoting, an assistant professor at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, not the wording of the BBC.
UK media have reported that Croxall is not facing a backlash from her employers over her correction.
The Times newspaper reports managers at the national broadcaster were “intensely relaxed” about the newsreader changing the words.
Sources at the BBC were quick to point out that the BBC News style guide did not mention the phrase “pregnant women”, according to reports.
Other insiders said it was highly unlikely that Croxall would be reprimanded over the matter, according to The Deadline.
In April, the UK’s Supreme Court ruled that the legal definition of a woman is based on biological sex.
Following the ruling, the BBC commented: “BBC News is reviewing the ruling to determine if any changes are necessary to update the style guide accordingly.”
On Monday, Croxall tweeted: “A huge thank you to everyone who has chosen to follow me today for whatever reason. It’s been quite a ride…”
