May 26th 2024.
Martine Croxall, a well-known presenter for BBC News, recently announced her return to the network on Twitter. This comes after Croxall and a group of her colleagues took legal action against the broadcaster for unfair treatment. The 55-year-old host was among several employees who claimed they were kept off-air following a rebranding of the BBC.
After her employment tribunal earlier this month, Croxall took to Twitter to share a video of her presenting BBC News and saying, "Now, where were we?" She accompanied the clip with the message, "Ya'll ready for this? Back on #BBCNews at 1100 BST." This marked her first appearance on the channel since March 2023 when she was taken off-air as part of cost-cutting measures.
Fans and colleagues congratulated Croxall on her return, with one person even welcoming her "home." It was indeed a long-awaited comeback for the presenter, who has not been seen on the channel for over a year. Along with Croxall, three other presenters - Karin Giannone, Kasia Madera, and Annita McVeigh - also launched legal proceedings against the BBC, claiming they were prevented from working against their will.
The presenters allege that they were unfairly passed over for roles during a "rigged" recruitment exercise. They also claim that this was a result of discrimination based on their age and sex. However, the BBC maintains that their application process was fair and rigorous and denies any allegations of discrimination or harassment.
The dispute between the presenters and the BBC began ahead of the merger of the network's domestic and international news channels in July 2022. The presenters say that they were initially promised job security by BBC Channel Manager Jess Brammer. But during the recruitment process, they were instead offered roles as correspondents, which they saw as a demotion and a reduction in pay.
Croxall and her colleagues also brought up the issue of equal pay, with all four of them filing claims against the BBC. However, this was dismissed at the hearing, with the BBC denying any discrepancies in pay and stating that other applicants had scored higher during the recruitment process.
Despite this setback, Judge Sarah Goodman found that the presenters could still make claims against the BBC for age and sex discrimination. Croxall is also able to claim discrimination on the grounds of wages and being a union member. Their claims will be heard in a joint tribunal in March 2025, which is expected to last three weeks.
In the meantime, the BBC has released a statement denying any wrongdoing and expressing confidence in their rigorous recruitment process. As for Croxall, she is happy to be back on BBC News and grateful for the support from her fans and colleagues. It remains to be seen how this legal battle will unfold, but one thing is for sure - Martine Croxall is back on our screens, and we couldn't be more thrilled.
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