Rhianna Benson
A BBC News journalist has divided opinion this week after 'correcting' a teleprompter that described 'pregnant people.'
Presenting a news segment about the potentially dangerous effect of the heatwave that took hold of the UK over the weekend, long-standing broadcaster Martine Croxall visibly scoffed at the inclusive autocue.
In a clip that has since gone viral online, the television reporter initially read: "London's school of hygiene and tropical medicine has released research that says that nearly 600 heat-related deaths are expected in the UK."
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Croxall, 56, then continued, 'Malcolm Mistry, who was involved in the research, says that the aged, pregnant people', before widening her eyes and correcting the teleprompter, saying 'women' instead.
The newsreader then continues listing the categories investigated in the research, adding 'people with preexisting health conditions need to take precautions', with a smirk.
After the moment began doing the rounds online, the journalist issued a response on X (formerly Twitter), writing: "A huge thank you to everyone who has chosen to follow me today for whatever reason. It’s been quite a ride…".
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Later, in response to one user admitting they 'hope' she 'doesn't get hauled before the BBC News beak', Croxall added that she was 'braced.'
It is understood that, during the segment, the reporter was reading the lingo of the scientific research being described during the segment, as opposed to the BBC's wording of the study, and the broadcasting firm currently has no specific policy on gender-neutral terminology.
The BBC's style guide does advise editorial staff, however (as per The Telegraph): "A person born male who lives as a female would typically be described as a ‘transgender woman’ and would take the pronoun ‘she’. And vice versa.
"We generally use the term and pronoun preferred by the person in question."
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Croxall's personal 'correction' of 'pregnant people' has since divided opinion, with a sadly unsurprising amount of social media users rushing to her defence.
Commentator and campaigner James Esses shared footage of the news segment, gushing in the caption: "The BBC is so utterly enthralled to gender ideology that it took a brave newsreader to correct the teleprompter instruction to say ‘pregnant people’ by instead saying ‘women’ afterwards. Let’s hope she isn’t cancelled for her rebellion!"
Harry Potter author JK Rowling - who has come under fire in recent years for her anti-trans campaigning online - also took to X to have her say.
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The writer also shared the clip, writing: "I have a new favourite BBC presenter."
Fellow former BBC journalist Sean McGinty also backed Croxall, adding: "She's fab, also brave and strong enough to do so from within."
Others, however, took issue with the hotly-debated statement, with one critic writing: "That bbc reporter eho changed the QUOTE she was reading and said 'Pregnant people- woman' is actually so weird...
"Children get pregnant, they're girls not women. And are women not people?? Such a non issue, but people just wanna be transphobic."