Woman's Hour: What happened this morning?

[NonCisWoman]

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9117995/Actress-refuses-appear-Womans-Hour-accusing-host-Emma-Barnett-degrading-comments.html

An actress refused to appear on Woman's Hour this morning after accusing host Emma Barnett of making 'degrading and vile' comments about her.

Kelechi Okafor was set to talk on the BBC Radio 4 show to discuss the #MeToo movement with new presenter Emma Barnett.

But as the programme was live on air, the Nigerian-British actress revealed she had come off the show, writing: 'Because what I've just had to witness is absolutely degrading and vile.'

Posting a video to Instagram, she said: 'I won't be going on Woman's Hour now. The host didn't realise her mic was on as she was talking s* about me to the producers.'

Woah

Blimey - no idea! I was half listening while doing something work-related, but thought I might listen again later as it seems WH might be going more for the format of dedicating a whole programme to one topic (which is interesting and will allow for much more in depth coverage of stuff.) Also, I can't work out whether I like Emma Barnett as a presenter.

I did think she was pretty competent and professional at least, but leaving a mic open sounds like a rookie error and not the sort of attention you want to attract on your first week in the job.

That's awful! What an embarrassment.

"Rookie error"?

If this story is true, then EB needs to be sacked.

Leaving your mic on is one thing; slagging off your guest is a whole other level and completely unacceptable in any context.

Wonder what was said? However, if Kelechi Okafur did in fact support Yates reference to some random, fat Jewish guy makes me think she isn't against degrading and vile speech per se. Only selectively.

EVAW Coalition just tweeted this: twitter.com/EVAWuk/status/1346796694109900801?s=19

It's so unprofessional, not surprised Kelechi walked away. Good for her.

It sounds like it was something to do with the Metoo movement.... I believe the other guests may have been anti it, and the actress was arguing her point that it was started by black women, and their voices still aren’t being heard.... or something along those lines!

So if the above is accurate and the presenter was being rude about her or her slant then she should definitely be investigated and then potentially sacked.

Can someone post what was actually said?

I followed the link above but still couldn't decipher it.

What did Emma say tho?

@snowisfallingallaroundus

Can someone post what was actually said?

I followed the link above but still couldn't decipher it.

Same here, what was the context of the photos?

That Daily Mail article has about 3 facts in it, all repeated 3 or 4 times in the body of the text.

But what was actually said by Emma Barnett? God knows, will we ever know? By mentioning the actresses defence of someone accused of anti semintism, I guess the DM are alluding to that?

Hard to know as nobody knows what was said?!

From Okafor's Twitter:

"Hi guys I’m coming off woman’s hour because what I’ve just had to witness is absolutely degrading and vile."

"The host didn’t realise her mic was on as she was talking about me before the interview started is all I’m going to say."

"You can have a genuine concern about something you’ve been told about me and address it in a manner that is kind. That wasn’t what took place. Myself and the other people who would be talking during the segment could hear me being talked about like a dickhead."

"When she clocks the mic is on suddenly it’s “well kelechi could you just explain to me because I’m trying to give you a chance to explain.... It was on your producers to have explained and done their research. It was on you to check your mic."

"The need for me on today’s show was to offer balance to these wayward women thinking that the MeToo movement is no longer needed. The fact is that if you feel it’s no longer needed for your white middle class sensibilities marginalised voices still need it."

"We haven’t heard from everybody regarding the violations they’ve faced. The originators of the MeToo movement were Black women. From enslaved Black women who were raped by slave owners to Tarana Burke yet their voices are yet to be honoured."

twitter.com/kelechnekoff/status/1346758347350016000

*'"Rookie error"?

If this story is true, then EB needs to be sacked.

Leaving your mic on is one thing; slagging off your guest is a whole other level and completely unacceptable in any context.*

I didn't hear it and haven't been able to find out what was said, but I imagine it's quite normal for the team to have a brief discussion about guests/interviews beforehand just to run over any potential touchy subjects/things to avoid etc. Obviously that conversation would be very different if you knew the person in question was listening in.

Without knowing what was said I wouldn't like to judge whether this was the awkward, unfortunate result of a rookie error (and I think WH is being broadcast from presenters' homes, so interviews taking place over phone or zoom, with more margin for technical glitches) or was a nastier, sackable offence.

I have to say I'm feeling anti-EB after seeing her on the front of the Sunday Times magazine promising 'more men' on Woman's Hour.

twitter.com/Emmabarnett/status/1346819404517044226

It appears that Kelechi had allegedly made some anti-Semitic remarks in the past and overheard Emma Barnett saying she was going to ask her about them

what did lionel shriver come up with? she really is rent a gob these days - a shame because I really liked a lot of her books

Emma’s explanation is here

The show that followed was a car crash

I listened to the whole thing and can’t see what was ‘car crash’ about it. All the guests were given time to explain their views and EB asked relevant and searching questions, especially of the defence lawyer. Sarah Green was absolutely amazing - intelligent, articulate and measured. The only issue I’d take with it was the apparent need to have Lionel Shriver on it to present an opposing view, which is a massive BBC thing now in the name of balance. Not EB’s fault that Shriver is now a professional contrarian.

Also, EB repeatedly mentioned that MeToo was started by Tarana Burke and that she’s a black woman.