Today ex-BBC Countryfile presenter, Miriam O’Reilly won her claims of ageism and victimisation at London Central Employment Tribunal. The compensation to be awarded will be decided at another hearing in a few weeks time, however, a figure of around £100,000, including lost earnings and an amount for injury to feelings, is likely to be awarded.
Miriam O’Reilly, 53, was one of four female presenters who were dropped from Countryfile when it was moved it from Sunday mornings to a primetime slot early Sunday evenings. The others included Juliette Morris, Charlotte Smith and Michaela Strachan. The current Countryfile presenters are Matt Baker and Julia Bradbury and both are significantly younger than Miriam.
In its judgment, the tribunal said "if the claimant had been 10 to 15 years younger, she would have been given proper consideration to remain as a presenter of Countryfile. The discrimination was not justified. The wish to appeal to a primetime audience, including younger viewers, is a legitimate aim. however, we do not accept that it has been established that choosing younger presenters is required to appeal to such an audience."
The tribunal rejected the BBC's suggestion that it had devised and adopted proper criteria for choosing the new Countryfile presenters and said that the explanation of the selection process offered in evidence by the BBC was "complacent".
The tribunal also found that the decision which not to give Miriam O'Reilly any further writing work on Countryfile magazine was "an act of victimisation" resulting from "annoyance as to the allegations that [Miriam O’Reilly] was making".
This case is a reminder to even the most high profile employers that employers should ensure that clear, objective and non-discriminatory selection criteria should be used throughout all employment policies in order to reduce the risk of employment tribunal claims and promote equality in the workplace.
Find out more about how Hart Brown can help with a discrimination claim
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