Advertisement

  1. National

Older TV women 'disappear'

Women on television are affected by a "combination of ageism and sexism" that does not apply to men, according to new figures released by Labour.

View all 3 updates ›

Presenter: Where have all the older women gone?

New figures released Labour reveal that only 7% of the total TV workforce (on and off-screen) are women over the age of 50.

Meanwhile, the majority of TV presenters who are over 50 are men (82%).

Miriam O'Reilly, who won an employment tribunal against the BBC on the grounds of ageism, said:

These figures raise the obvious questions of where have all the older women gone and why did they go? Was it their choice to leave their jobs or was it a decision forced upon them?

The broadcasters say they are committed to the fair representation of older women, but the figures don't bear that out.

I'd like to know the reasons why so many talented women have disappeared, while their male counterparts have grown older and still have their jobs.

More top news