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

[Ladyof2025]

BBC contacted me asking me to speak on camera about an aspect of local history I happen to know a bit about. I agreed and spent the next few days brushing up on the facts and then writing and rewriting a script and reading it out loud again and again until I knew it by heart and could speak confidently to camera as though I'd never said it before.

I do not have a pretty face, and am in my 60s and rather podgy, but I went to the trouble of going through my wardrobe for the perfect outfit that flattered my podginess, and had my hair cut specially and put on some make up, so I could be the best possible version of me that I could.

The production team visited, took me to the site and filmed me speaking. I did it smoothly and confidently and was glad that I had put in all the rehearsal so I came across as knowledgeable, professional and confident of my material. They said my performance was perfect, thanked me profusely and left.

After about a week they rang me to say that due to time and space issues the section of the programme that featured my input had been dropped. I felt absolutely gutted, not because I want to see myself on TV but because I had used up a lot of my valuable free time for several days preparing and rehearsing for it (for no fee I should add).

A few months later the programme I was dropped from came on TV and to my utter astonishment an attractive, slim young lady appeared, at the same site I was filmed at, and she spoke the exact words I had written and rehearsed! I nearly fell off my chair - the absolute bloody cheek of dropping ME but stealing the script that I had written. Thinking about it, I realised that they wanted my expert input, but not my saggy face or ample figure.

AIBU to be hurt and angry?

God, that's terrible, op. I'd contact the person who contacted you originally and let them know how you feel.

Being associated with the BBC is cringe anyway. You had a lucky escape.

Appalling. Complain to the BBC and the producer you were dealing with. Threaten to take it to the press.

Just want to say the same thing happened to me a few years ago actually! All my input was stolen - every single word, even a joke / play on words I mentioned that was in context to the topic being discussed.

I felt like rubbish but my 'replacement' wasn't more or less attractive and actually older.

It's still awful, sending hugs x

Yeh sure. Why don’t you post a link to the programme for us all to see. The BBC has strict rules about things like this. I can’t see any journalist jeopardising their whole career for a short piece on local history

Who else was supposed to write the script when it was the op providing the information?

That's ridiculous! Op was being professional by being properly prepared. Any serious person asked to showcase their professional skills on camera would do this. It's not remotely strange! Try being sixty in today's workplace and you will find out how difficult it is to maintain one's poise and confidence in the face of both misogynism and ageism combined.

OMG - YANBU

I was reading thinking, how awful you put all that time in, but tv is a bit unpredictable and they were probably short on time

I was not prepared for the ending!

Complain! I'm sure you have the speech written/recorded somewhere? How disgusting of them!

I can’t believe they stole your script.

Can you say which programme?

I'm intrigued

Lawyer up! That's disgraceful.

Did you sign a release form or something to that effect? Go on, link the program…

I used to be a TV producer and there is NO WAY ON EARTH that I would have allowed or facilitated that.

I would approach the producer (find them on the credits) and cc everyone who was part of your original correspondence and request a script fee. Be clear that you can provide a copy of the script with a date stamp from your PC showing the date it was created (assume you didn't write by hand?) and that you were appalled that they thought it was ok to steal your work. You can mention that it was disappointing to see you had been replaced by a 'younger prettier' version - not so much for yourself but because it shows the BBC in a poor light when it comes to championing intelligent, knowledgeable, older women. Remind them that diversity isn't just about skin colour...

Good luck.

I work in television.

This sounds incredibly unlikely.

Time and money is tight and they just wouldn't spend it on these types of shenanigans.

If it is true then complain to the production company or team.

Maybe you were rubbish but they still needed to cover the info?

And another expert would be expected to say more or less the same thing wouldn't they?

I am really sorry you were treated this way. As a journalist, I can tell you that I have been ripped off by Editors a lot as a freelancer who deliberately string you along, come up with some excuse not to 'run' with your feature after stalling for several weeks, and then to add insult to injury, produce a new feature weeks later with the same ideas and words. I recently had an editor from a leading magazine who strung me along for two and a half months saying she really liked my story. Then it went to she was 'out and about' and would get back to me, to then saying that she needed to check space in her magazine, to then saying the future of the magazine is up in the air. I told her directly what I thought of her treatment of me without swear words and made it clear that I am keeping her emails on file in case the story is covered by someone else. I would follow this up and put an official complaint in with the highers up. Check if you have original correspondence that backs up and mirrors their actions with the other woman. P.S please don't put yourself down. You didn't deserve to be treated like this.

Anyone remember the Beijing Olympics which had a slim pretty girl miming the words to a song whilst the talented, slightly plainer larger girl was put behind a screen?

No-one!

There is no script, otherwise they wouldn't bother interviewing randoms.

They'd just pull the info off the internet and hand it to whoever they want.

My ears prickled at "rehearsed". Nothing comes off worse on telly than someone who has memorised what they wanted to say and spouts it out like a robot. Its really jarring and not engaging for the viewer. Be honest with yourself op - did you do this?

Why?

Excellent response. Proportionate, measured, balanced, informed and backed up.

Have you thought of a career in TV journalism?

I think that’s abhorrent for a national broadcaster and I would ask a law firm to take on your discrimination case. Even if you aren’t an employee, it was your time and energy and your words. I think you could have a claim.

completely unprofessional opinion

Well I'm almost 56 🤷‍♂️

The point is, when you're asked to speak about the subject you work in, you arm yourself with facts and then literally chat/answer the presenter's questions.

The fact the OP took it on herself to write a script completely unprompted, was probably why they decided against showing it.

These things are supposed to flow naturally.

If they stole your script, you should definitely complain.