To be hurt and annoyed at being dropped by the BBC?

I used to be a freelancer for the BBC. They are a truly terrible organisation.
No, I don’t have a TV licence!

Send them a bill for your time, pointing out that you wrote the 'script' and you have the (dated) original files to prove it
You did not sign a release for your script, I assume?
BBC generally pay piecework for scripts, and a 10min PTC would expect to be in the region of £30-50

I understand this, my angle is that they used her as a researcher by using her words/script and getting someone else to read it instead of their researchers writing a script for the other person to read. So instead of doing their own research they consulted OP but without any credit. Either way I think it's a bit dodge mate.

Please don’t support Elon Musk

Join BlueSky rather than Twitter. BlueSky is now open to all and free.

I am appalled for you, OP, and very sorry.

I hope you gain some solace by the realisation that you are not alone. Being dropped is sadly par for the course, but if your script was truly stolen as you describe I hope you will pursue this. As PP have said there are technical issues, so I think you need a solicitor.

I haven’t RTFT yet so I apologise if this is now redundant.

Stop being so nasty.

The OP has a legitimate grievance about the way she’s been treated, so stop minimising that by attributing it to vanity.

I could suggest your meanness is down to jealousy, but as I don’t know you at all, I couldn’t possibly support that - same as you have no idea about the OP so don’t get to assert ‘the real problem’.

Unless OP had a patent put on her script which takes years and years and costs thousands, then it's not copyright infringement

I think it's really cheeky of the BBC and quite mean to take research you had done and claim it as their own without giving you any credit. I would write to the producer and say as much. If they gave you a credit at the end and acknowledged you it would have been more professional. There's not a lot you can do at this point but I would write and say, as you've said here, that the information you had discovered look a long time to research and you were disappointed to see all of it recited by the presenter without giving you any credit and you find it unprofessional of them.

I've worked for the BBC in a different department and this doesn't surprise me - it's a huge, impersonal, somewhat cut-throat organisation.

They are the only ones who should be embarrassed for their lack of decency.

So sorry you are feeling like this. Sod them! You should be proud of your expertise and passion.

Yes I'd agree it's a pittance now even from the professional photo banks. One of the reasons is everyone has a camera with them all times on their phone and people are happy to give away media for free.. photojournalism is pretty much over as a career/ main job! "people are just proud of their work and want other people to see it" by that token if OP is proud of her work and wanted people to see it, all she really wants is a credit...?

Ignore the mean girl posters trying to put you down. It sounds as though the producers didn’t do their jobs properly and tell you not to rehearse etc.

But please don’t assume you were dropped because of your looks - that’s so unlikely to happen.

They would have known what you look like beforehand unless you have no internet presence at all - and even then, if looks were important they would have found an excuse to hop on a zoom to check you out before committing to filming.

If they just wanted your expertise, they would have done a research call with you and written a script from that - again, not gone tk the considerable expense of filming you.

Much more likely there was a problem with the delivery - entirely down to their poor producing - or a technical issue that necessitated a reshoot.

But call or email them and tell them how upset this has made you. It’s unprofessional and unkind and they should take it seriously - there is a push to change the culture in TV, and decent treatment of everyone is a big part of that.

My opinion of the BBC was already very low but it has sunk even lower.

Unfortunately a person's appearance is not a protected characteristic so discrimination would not apply

OP you should definitely complain that you weren’t featured in credits! But you should also not assume a horrid reason that you were cut, or take it personally. There are lots of reasons the producers might have taken a different direction that aren’t to do with you at all, e.g., perhaps they had originally intended the information to be delivered by a range of local experts, but the other ones weren’t available/were terrible on screen, and it would have been really random to just have you - so they decided to go for a more “presenter led” format and got the presenter to re-do your section?

@Developedanillness You'd be amazed at what putting these things on TikTok can achieve. Companies alllllllways bend over backwards to solve people's complaints when they have gained traction on TikTok. They don't want the bad PR so they insist on being seen to address the issue in a good, swift way.

If it took you YEARs of research, then why on earth did you share that information knowingly for FREE to the first person who came knocking...was it for 5 minutes of fame?! If you feel that strongly...write a complaint! It hasn't really been stolen even if they did reuse it, you gave it away like an anecdote? Why did you do that really if it mattered so much to you? I think I and you know the reason, but if I say the word you won't accept it and I'll be told I'm too harsh! It's horrible when life is unfair and people take advantage of others, but sadly, as I myself have learned the hard way many many times, other people will do many unscrupulous things to further their own ends..isn't the media industry in fact well known and stereotyped exactly for this...? If you've been sheltered from these kinds of behaviours until this point in life, you've done well. Gnashing your teeth about it now won't change it, best you can hope for is an apology unfortunately and that they don't run it again/credit it you if they do.

So you absolutely are not unreasonable for being upset. I would be absolutely fuming.

From your comments I'm a little bit confused on how close the person who ended up speaking was to your script and this is really important. Did they use your information (not ok in itself), or did they actually copy your words close to verbatim?

I presume you signed some form of release as well - did that say anything that would suggest they had the right to take your words/information and use it for their own purposes? Did it say anything about them having the right to use your research externally?

I would be complaining regardless, but depending on whether they copied word for word, and whether your release gave them any rights to do so, would change whether my focus was on them being untrustworthy and unprofessional, or actually in breach of their contract with you.

Of course not, only that, in my experience as a fairly frequent talking head, it quite often ends up on the cutting room floor. Not because I did anything ‘wrong’, but just for reasons of time, pacing, didn’t suit the narrative thread etc.

A former colleague and I were invited last year to the film festival premiere of a documentary we’d both been extensively interviewed for, as we’re two of the leading experts on the subject. Colleague was freaking out in the cinema at the idea of seeing herself on a big screen. It turned out that she was only featured in voiceover, talking over some archival footage, and she was saying ‘I wasted a really good blowdry! I could have done that in my pyjamas!’ I think the filmmaker used me more, not because I was ‘better’, but because they just wanted more input from people of my nationality (relevant to film topic).

It really doesn't matter if you were wooden, if your skirt was tucked in your knickers and they didn't realise - you are entitled to feel upset that they didn't have the nous to tell you up front that they were going to go ahead at another time with a different presenter.

It's very poor show from a professional organisation at the least.

The market for selling photography is not as lucrative for 99% of people as you think it is, and sometimes people are just proud of their work and want other people to see it.

I think what you really need is some recognition that you played a part in their show. Even if you didn't make it on screen, they used your info, and you deserve a shout-out in the credits.

Just to say I believe you on this OP. I have heard of it happening before. Please do write in a complaint. Its one thing if they drop your segment due to time constraints; but to take your work and not credit it is appalling. If they didn't want to use 'you' they should have credited you at the end for research or content.

I am sorry I made you feel bad with my comment OP. It's obviously been a very wounding experience. The programme makers should have explained much more clearly what was expected in terms of presentation. The re use of your material must have been very upsetting.

The Daily Mail love this sort of thing, I bet they pick it up and identify the programme.

What did the on-screen text say when the woman came up? If someone of the production team or an an actress was portrayed as a local citizen then you have grounds for fabrication.

@Ladyof2025 people always accuse, try and ignore them. Seems a bizarre thing to make up, and lots of others on here believe you and have given great advice.

Will you contact the BBC/producers about it?