Women should stop whingeing about sexism on TV, says Alan Titchmarsh
The gardener has reignited the ageism on TV debate by remarking that women 'don't complain in the early days when they are disporting themselves on sports cars'
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Alan Titchmarsh has claimed that older women working in television should stop moaning about being passed over for jobs because it’s easier for them at the beginning of their careers.
The 64-year-old TV gardener and author of raunchy novels told The Observer: “Men in television tend to last a bit longer at the end of their careers, but it is women who make hay at the beginning."
“They don’t complain in their early days when they are disporting themselves on sports cars. I’d like to see a mix of all ages on TV and wish there could be less whingeing about it.”
His views go against those of fellow broadcast veterans John Humphrys and David Dimbleby, who respectively decried the lack of older women on TV as “morally wrong” and a “crazy loss of talent”.
In 2011, former BBC presenter Miriam O’Reilly, 56, won her age discrimination case against the corporation after being dropped from Countryfile.
She told the Telegraph that Titchmarsh should “know better”.
“What on earth is he talking about? We are not whingeing. We have to be vocal to make things change,” she said.
“We have to speak out about what is going on now in TV. I think that a lot of people are getting the message that TV treats older women unfairly, but we have to keep saying it, we have to keep pushing at the door. That really makes me angry to suggest that because we are speaking out about age discrimination on TV that it’s whingeing. We are protesting, we are campaigning for change.”
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments