The BBC has issued an apology after a technical issue affected the audio levels during weather forecasts presented by Judith Ralston, leading to complaints from viewers who had difficulty understanding her during her debut on UK national news programs.
Ralston, a familiar face in Scotland, spent a week in London presenting forecasts for programs including BBC News at One earlier this month. Following her appearances, some English viewers took to social media to express frustration, citing her Scottish accent and perceived low volume as reasons they could not comprehend her reports.
One viewer posted on X, formerly Twitter, that the presenter "mumbles, is quiet, has a hard accent to always understand, not the best qualities for the job." Another commented that Ralston "speaks really really quietly and is virtually incomprehensible even with the sound on the TV turned right up."
However, viewers from Scotland defended Ralston, with some suggesting that her microphone was the issue, causing audio levels to fluctuate. They asserted that her accent was not a barrier to understanding and that she was clear and audible on Scottish news broadcasts.
A BBC spokesperson confirmed that a technical issue had impacted the audio quality during some of Ralston's forecasts in the first week of August, causing the volume to be lower than intended. The BBC apologized for any inconvenience and stated that the issue has since been resolved.
Despite the controversy, Ralston shared on Instagram that she enjoyed her time in London presenting national weather, describing the experience as a great opportunity and expressing that she felt at home with the London-based presenters.
Ralston, who was born in Edinburgh, previously had a career as an opera singer before joining the BBC in 1999 as a travel reporter for BBC Scotland and later transitioning to weather presenting.