Veteran broadcaster Jan Leeming has announced she is quitting social media after receiving what she described as "vile abuse" in response to her criticism of ITV presenter Charlene White.
Leeming, 84, posted on X, formerly Twitter, on Tuesday, calling the 46-year-old presenter "condescending" and stating she "doesn't hack it as a newsreader." White responded, expressing surprise at the comments from someone she admired as a child. She noted that in an industry where women, particularly Black women, have to work hard to get ahead, such disrespect from a fellow female journalist feels "like something from a bygone era."
Leeming initially defended her stance, suggesting that "it is far easier for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people (BAME) to get ahead in all walks of life" and that her opinion had "nothing to do with colour." She later acknowledged the comment about style was "unwise" but that it did not warrant the abuse she received.
"I should have kept my thoughts to myself," Leeming wrote on Wednesday morning, announcing a temporary departure from social media. "I’ve now been on receiving end of far more nastiness and personal abuse than was warranted by making a comment on style. To bring my personal life into the equation was below the belt."
Leeming, who presented for the BBC between 1969 and 1987, including a period as a newsreader from 1980, has recently been critical of the current generation of presenters. She has commented on pronunciation, speech clarity, and delivery styles.
Leeming also stated in her initial posts that while she did not know how good White was as a journalist, her delivery was condescending, and she did not believe she was suited to be a newsreader, suggesting others like Mary Nightingale were better suited.
In addition to her commentary on White, Leeming has also voiced opinions on other topics, including a recent criticism of parents bringing young children to upscale restaurants, which also led to public debate.