Interview with BBC Journalist Charlotte Smith

Charlotte is an experienced freelance journalist and radio & tv presenter, who can be seen on BBC1's Countryfile and heard on Radio 4. 

 

In 2009 she was controversially axed from Countryfile for not being ‘young or pretty’ enough. Now she is back, after the BBC Trust insisted on putting more women on air. 

 

In this episode, Charlotte discusses age and gender discrimination at the workplace by telling her story. She gives insights on the journalism world of the 80’s and 90’s explaining how she navigated these male dominated times at the BBC and how, what was seen as absolutely normal back then, would be outrageous today. 

 

Nevertheless, she kept fighting for her place and is back presenting on air and on radio at the age of 59, paving the way for women journalists of all ages to be able to continue their broadcast career until they retire.