BBC Finds News Anchor In Violation After Showing ‘Disgust’ At The Phrase ‘Pregnant People’

A BBC TV news host may face consequences for making her “disgust” obvious when being forced to use the phrase “pregnant people” while reading from a teleprompter earlier this year.

Martine Croxall had twenty formal complaints lodged against her following a June broadcast. 

“London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine has released research, which says that nearly 600 heat-related deaths are expected in the U.K.,” Croxall said during the broadcast in question.

“Malcolm Mistry, who was involved in the research, says that the aged, pregnant people… women,” she went on after a pause, “and those with pre-existing health conditions need to take precautions.”

“I have a new favorite BBC presenter,” J.K. Rowling wrote in June after the segment aired.

I have a new favourite BBC presenter. https://t.co/l2gkThccty

— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) June 22, 2025

BBC News reps initially defended Croxall’s delivery, saying her reaction was because of “scripting which somewhat clumsily incorporated phrases from the press release accompanying the research.”

But now that’s changed. The BBC’s Executive Complaints Unit (ECU) announced Thursday that Croxall had indeed violated its prescribed editorial standards of impartiality.

“The phrase ‘pregnant people’ was followed by a facial expression which has been variously interpreted by complainants as showing disgust, ridicule, contempt or exasperation,” the news release from the ECU said.

“…The ECU considered the facial expression which accompanied the change of ‘people’ to ‘women’ laid it open to the interpretation that it indicated a particular viewpoint in the controversies currently surrounding trans identity, and the congratulatory messages Ms. Croxall later received on social media, together with the critical views expressed in the complaints to the BBC and elsewhere, tended to confirm that the impression of her having expressed a personal view was widely shared across the spectrum of opinion on the issue,” it said.

While the statement did not detail any punishments Croxall will receive for her actions, social media has been congratulating her for taking a stand for team sanity ever since the incident occurred.

Piers Morgan said, “The BBC expects a female presenter to use the words ‘pregnant people’ about pregnant WOMEN, and then reprimands her when she rolls her eyes?! Pathetic.”

“She should have her own news channel,” one commenter suggested.

“I loved that. It was so well done. Such a small thing, but it was a powerful reality check. She deserves a raise and a promotion,” another said. “The Emperor’s New Clothes have hereby been exposed to the world.”