Axed BBC presenter wins ageism case

Axed Countryfile presenter Miriam O'Reilly has won an age discrimination case against the BBC.

Ms O'Reilly, 53, who lost her job in advance of it moving to a prime-time Sunday evening slot, said she had done "the right thing" by taking on the corporation, but added that she would like to return to work at the BBC.

Fighting back tears at times, she told a news conference in London she was "overwhelmed" after winning her case.

She also said she was "really impressed" by the BBC's decision to apologise to her following the judgment and the corporation's announcement that it would like to talk about working with her again in the future.

She said: "It was hard to take on the BBC because I love the BBC and I loved working there. I think it is one of the best broadcast organisations in the world but I felt that I was treated badly because of my age.

"Standing up to the BBC was the right thing to do, however hurtful, however stressful it has been. I would like to go back to work for the BBC. I took this action because I wanted to work for the BBC."

Ms O'Reilly said there was a "long way" to go with ageism in the visual media, not just at the BBC.

She said she hoped the case would help speed up the elimination of ageism in this field.

O'Reilly told the London employment tribunal last November she was "devastated" when she was told in November 2008 that she was being dropped after eight years of working for the show as a freelance.

Three other women Countryfile presenters aged over 40 - Michaela Strachan, 42, Juliet Morris, 45, and Charlotte Smith, 44 - were also axed alongside O'Reilly, she told the tribunal.

The programme relaunched in April 2009 with Julia Bradbury, then 38, and former Blue Peter presenter Matt Baker, then 30, along with veteran broadcaster John Craven, 68, who was kept on for a slot called John Craven Investigates.

In its judgment, the tribunal said the BBC had subjected O'Reilly to direct age discrimination and age victimisation.