to be grateful to John Inverdale......

[curlew]

... For singlehandedly making feminism's point.

I disagree claig I think they were equally stupid and crass things to say and both represented an irrelevant comment about the person's physical appearance. The number of people watching is an irrelevance. (But as it goes, the Grand National has a huge audience too.)

I hate to repeat what that twat said, but here is a quote of it

"He said: "I just wonder if her dad, because he has obviously been the most influential person in her life, did say to her when she was 12, 13, 14 maybe, 'listen, you are never going to be, you know, a looker.

"'You are never going to be somebody like a Sharapova, you're never going to be 5ft 11, you're never going to be somebody with long legs, so you have to compensate for that.

"'You are going to have to be the most dogged, determined fighter that anyone has ever seen on the tennis court if you are going to make it', and she kind of is."

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-23214821

What thoughts go through that twat's mind to think her father would say to his young daughter
'listen, you are never going to be, you know, a looker.

Does he think that is what father's say to their daughters?

Balding never wondered if the jockey's father said to his young son, your teeth mean that you will never be a looker and so you will need to try and compensate for your teeth in some other way.

I think that twat's statement is dismissive of girls and women and disrespectful to their parents, and it is disrespectful to female sports stars, women in general and to sport itself.

Exactly, and Sky is a private company, but the BBC is publicly owned and we all pay for it through our taxes.

Thanks, just did my first ever complaint to the BBC.

Have complained. Grrrrr

I've complained too. He should be sacked, & if he isn't I'll refuse to pay my licence fee.

He'd have been sacked if he'd said that about one of the Williams sisters because he'd have been accused of racism.

Applauding Claig here.

Clare Balding was making a point that many jockeys have bad teeth because they have had them kicked in by a horse. She was a jockey herself. She has apologized, she made a mistake. She was just trying to show how tough the sport is. This us completely different.

I've complained as well. Never done that before...

The Clare Balding comment came about because the jockey had expressed a desire to get his teeth done with the winnings if he won. She clarified that afterwards.

They should sack him.

He's not only sexist and patronising, he's wrong. She has all the qualities needed by a successful athlete, because they have nothing to do with looks, and she is lovely anyway, there are some beautiful photo's of her if you google her name.

Ah John John John

I'd love to listen to your incisive rugby commentary, but you look like a Thunderbird Puppet

Twat

My dad once told me I had breast like two fried eggs. At 17. Nice.

breasts, for that matter

I have complained. 2 minutes of my time and needs to be done

I was under the impression that Clare Balding and Liam Treadwell knew each other, and that the teeth jibe was some sort of established joke. A bit unprofessional, but not sexist.

Marion Bartoli's response was great, dignified but she definitely meant business. It's not like Inverdale has ever won anything himself.

Incidentally, someone I know (male) was involved in an incident with John Inverdale, which I can't clarify because it is outing. He described Inverdale as being like an angry gorilla.

Oh so it has suffolk

Would someone be so kind to post the link to the complaints page on BBC. I am shattered and if you have it handy I would be internally grateful.

Arghhhhh fucking twats on BBC repeating the offensive phrase saying "JI described her as not being a looker"

And smiling. And without judgement / apology.

Fucking hell BBC wake up!

bemy links are up thread. I found it fiddly on my phone do I called.

Thank you!

The BBC need to sack Inverdale. Let's see how far his looks take him once out of the cozy bosom of Auntie Beeb.