Moira Stewart
Moira Stuart has accepted another job at the BBC, on The Chris Evans Breakfast Show on Radio 2.
Stewart who was Britain’s first African-Caribbean female newsreader became? the subject of huge controversy when she originally left the BBC in 2007, with many observers concluding the BBC was intent on getting rid of its middle-aged female newsreaders.
Ms Stuart was dropped after 30 years reading the news.
Similar allegations hit the BBClast year? when it took Arlene Phillips, 66, off Strictly Come Dancing and replaced her with 30-year-old Alesha Dixon.
Women’s minister Harriet Harman (Labour) Chastised the corporation for its approach recently.
“It’s essentially an old-fashioned attitude that thinks you can’t value the experience and wisdom of an older woman,” she told the BBC’s World This Weekend.
“I think that the broadcast media finds it possible to value the older man but I don’t think they find it possible to value the older woman.
“To be a BBC news presenter as a woman you have to be ten years younger than the men.”
The BBC’s recent pledge to appoint a female newsreader over 50 raised expectations that Ms Stuart would return to newsreading.? However, it does smack of an embarrassing climbdown by the BBC.
Ms Stuart will exclusively read the news bulletins during the Chris Evens Radio programme, which will run from 07.00 to 09.30, Monday to Friday.
