ITV’s Charlene White felt discriminated by BBC as a Black woman in TV

ITV presenter Charlene White revealed she was taught to work ‘twice as hard’ as a Black woman in TV, after forcing herself to ‘tone down’ her behaviour to fit in with her BBC colleagues.

The 41-year-old newsreader has had a pioneering career spanning over two decades in the broadcasting industry, which resulted in her being the first Black woman to present ITV News at 10, however she explained her transition from radio to the small screen resulted in prejudicial behaviours from her fellow workers. 

In celebration of International Women’s Day – which took place on Tuesday March 8 – White explained to The Sun that during her happier times at BBC Radio 1 Xtra she ‘didn’t talk the way other journalists spoke.’ 

‘I don’t necessarily speak what would historically be called the Queen’s English but that’s part of who I am,’ she told the publication. 

White added: ‘When I moved into regional TV in Norwich, I recorded my voice and a reporter said to me, “you’ll have to redo that because that’s not how we talk at the BBC.” 

‘That’s when the shock hit me, because suddenly people were looking at me like I was strange, like I wasn’t intelligent and I couldn’t do my job,’ she continued. 

White has certainly come a long way after making history, as she was announced as the new host of Loose Women, alongside co-stars Coleen Nolan, Janet Street-Porter and Ruth Langsford.

Last year Sir Trevor McDonald and White explored how systemic racism in the UK was exposed following the murder of George Floyd in May 2020. Floyd was killed by Minnesota police officer Derek Chauvin who knelt on his neck for nine minutes, leaving him unable to breathe.  

Viewers were incredibly moved by the stories in the documentary and staggered by the statistics, including that Black woman in the public eye are 80% more likely to receive online abuse than white women, something which the ITV presenter host has experienced. 

‘I had to force myself to tone it down a little bit and then the more senior I became, the more I felt that I shouldn’t have to change who I am to do what I want to do,’ she said. 

Metro.co.uk has reached out to the BBC for comment. 

Loose Women airs weekdays at 12.30pm on ITV. 

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