Bigwigs at the BBC have reportedly backed presenter Martine Croxall after she controversially corrected her phrasing during a live broadcast.
The journalist, 56, sparked quite the debate on social media after deviating from the script supplied by the teleprompter last Saturday (21 June).
She was referring to research conducted by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical about which vulnerable groups were most at risk from heat-related illnesses when the now-viral moment happened.
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While reciting the contents of the study, Croxall appeared to come across a term which she had reservations about - 'pregnant people'.
The mum-of-two, from Leicestershire, made her misgivings about the wording apparent during the live broadcast and quickly corrected herself to instead say 'women' while rolling her eyes.
"Malcom 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," Croxall told viewers.
Take a look at the moment here:
Famously anti-trans spokesperson and Harry Potter author JK Rowling dubbed Croxall her 'new favourite BBC presenter', while former Wimbledon star Martina Navratilova also expressed support for the news presenter online.
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Croxall then reportedly gained almost 50,000 followers across her social media accounts, prompting her to thank viewers for throwing their weight behind her.
She wrote in a post on Twitter: "A huge thank you to everyone who has chosen to follow me today for whatever reason. It’s been quite a ride…"
In a subsequent post, Croxall also said she was 'braced' for a chat with her bosses should they raise an issue with her - but her superiors are said to have been 'intensely relaxed' about situation, according to The Times.
The publication reported that the presenter, who has worked for the UK broadcaster since 1991, was approached about the matter 'in a supportive way'.
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"It’s a real cultural moment," one of Croxall's presenting colleagues said, while adding that there is a mass of support within the BBC for her using 'honest language' during the live news segment.
BBC chairman Samir Shah is understood to be in support of Croxall, The Times reported.
It is thought to come as a result of the Supreme Court's ruling back in April regarding the legal definition of a woman, which decided it is based on a person's biological sex.
In wake of this, the BBC said it was working out how to adapt to this as a broadcaster.
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"In our news reporting, we always aim to deal with issues fairly and impartially, and this is informed by our editorial guidelines," it explained.
"BBC News is assessing the ruling to consider any updates which might need to be made to the style guide as a result."
Croxall has been outspoken about her opinion on gender and biological sex in the past, saying that she believes 'sex is binary and immutable' during a debate with a trans activist following the Supreme Court ruling.
The term 'pregnant people' is intentionally gender-neutral, and has been increasingly used in public discourse to ensure inclusivity for non-binary and transgender individuals.
However, anti-trans organisations and individuals have notably been quite vocal about their disapproval on this.
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The BBC previously told LADbible that it had 'no policy on using the wording', while clarifying: "The phrase 'pregnant people' was the phrasing used in the original report rather than something the BBC had written."
Olivia Burke