The public broadcaster BBC has upheld 20 complaints against one of its most familiar faces, anchor Martine Croxall, for breaching its standards of impartiality during a live news broadcast. The incident in question took place in June, when Croxall substituted the term “pregnant people” with “women” while presenting a segment on heat-wave risks.
In the June segment, Croxall introduced a research piece on at-risk groups during heat-waves. Quoting from the script she said:
“Malcolm 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.”
Her guest, Malcolm Mistry of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), used the expression “pregnant women” in his comments.
The moment instantly went viral. Critics interpreted her facial expression — including a visible hesitation and raised eyebrows — as signalling a viewpoint rather than simply making a correction.
The BBC’s Executive Complaints Unit (ECU) found Croxall’s alteration of the wording, combined with her expression, amounted to “giving the strong impression of expressing a personal view on a controversial matter”.
While the broadcaster noted that the original script was “somewhat clumsy” — containing non-standard phrases like “the aged” and “pregnant people” which were not aligned with BBC style — that did not excuse the departure from required impartiality.
The ECU further pointed out that the social media reaction — both supportive and critical — helped confirm that audiences did interpret her actions as expressing a personal stance.
Croxall received online praise from gender-critical commentators, including author J.K. Rowling for correcting the obvious, but the BBC holds its on-air talent to a standard of “due impartiality” — meaning presenters must avoid giving the impression they take sides on contentious issues.
The term “pregnant people” is viewed by many as ideologically driven. By penalizing a presenter for reverting to “women,” the BBC may inadvertently promote a particular worldview rather than true neutrality.
Well done, hypocrites!
