BBC presenter Martine Croxall censured over on-air trans identity remarks
BBC News presenter Martine Croxall has been censured for expressing a personal view on a controversial matter during a broadcast in June. The BBC's Executive Complaints Unit ruled against Croxall, upholding concerns from audience members who claimed she expressed a controversial view about trans people and made a facial expression of disgust, ridicule, contempt, or exasperation.
Croxall was quoting Dr Malcolm Mistry, who said 'pregnant people' were more at risk of death during a UK heatwave. However, she changed the autocue from 'pregnant people' to 'women' on air. The BBC ruled that Croxall's facial expression laid it open to the interpretation that she indicated a particular viewpoint in the controversies surrounding trans identity, which falls short of the BBC's expectations of impartiality.
The ruling against Croxall comes after The Daily Telegraph reported on a dossier shared with the BBC board, alleging that the corporation had been 'captured by a small group of people' promoting a pro-trans agenda. The name of the independent consultant who prepared the report on the BBC Editorial Guidelines and Standards Committee is not provided in the available sources and is not current public knowledge as of November 2025.
Croxall was originally backed by her BBC News bosses after the incident. However, the BBC's Executive Complaints Unit upheld the complaints against her, leading to her censure. J.K. Rowling praised Croxall after seeing the viral clip of her on-air remark. A BBC News source confirmed that nowhere in the style guide does it insist on the phrase 'pregnant women', and insiders pointed to the UK Supreme Court ruling in April, which said the legal definition of a woman is based on biological sex.
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