I'm no serial age discrimination offender, says John McCririck TV boss

 
Discrimination claim: John McCririck alleges he was dropped from Channel 4 Racing because of his age
PA
John Dunne @jhdunne7 October 2013

Channel 4’s creative chief Jay Hunt today denied she was a “serial age descrimination offender” as she defended a decision to axe racing pundit John McCririck.

McCririck, 73, is taking former employer Channel 4 and TV production company IMG Media Limited to an employment tribunal, alleging his sacking last year after 29 years was motivated by age discrimination.

Ms Hunt was accused by McCririck of being “a serial offender” having previously lost, as a BBC executive, an age discrimination case brought by former Countryfile presenter Miriam O’Reilly, then 51.

She also prompted an outcry when she axed Arlene Phillips, then 66, as a judge from Strictly Come Dancing in 2010, replacing her with 31-year-old Alesha Dixon.

Today Ms Hunt, Channel 4’s programming chief, told the Central London tribunal she had learned her lessons from the O’Reilly case and denied McCririck’s sacking was age-related.

She said: “I have learned from that case. I have apologised personally to Miriam O’Reilly. The profound effect (of the case) made me acutely aware of my responsibilities in this area. There is not a correlation between younger presenters and younger audiences.”

She also denied that her involvement in removing Phillips as a judge was age-related, saying: “We were looking at how the programme could cut through to more audiences.”

McCririck, 73, is claiming £3 million after being replaced at Channel 4 racing by a team headed by Clare Balding last year.

Ms Hunt vehemently denied ageism and said when she joined Channel 4 she instigated training courses regarding discrimination to staff. However, she conceded sports commissioning chief Jamie Aitchison, who was key in the decision to axe McCririck, had not taken part in the training as it was voluntary.

Production company IMG was brought in to “freshen up” the coverage and found no place for McCririck. Ms Hunt said: “The decision [to drop McCririck] was backed up by data.”

Channel 4 Racing executive producer Carl Hicks told the tribunal today that the new team was “upmarket” — but what was important were their qualities as broadcasters. Mr Hicks said: “I said we might be putting together the poshest team on television.”

He said that McCririck’s eccentric style and celebrity performances and attitide of “a loudmouth and chauvinist extraordinaire” meant he had to be dropped.

He said: “I remember watching a lot of Celebrity Big Brother in 2005 and, like many, being taken aback not only by some of the sexist comments he made on programmes but also he generally came across as bombastic and provocative.”

He said the pundit’s use of tic tac to relay betting odds “was distracting to viewers”.

The tribunal continues.

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