Sounds like Ms Hunt should be hauled over the coals by the DG (Director General) for giving the job to a person because of the colour of their skin and not for their ability. I thought their were rules against that - my goodness if she were to say she was giving a job to a person because they were "white" there really would be a hue and cry.

A person should be offered a job on their skill and competence. Alesha is not suitable as a judge and is not overly popular. Instead of listening to the viewing public Hunt chose to ignore them thinking she knew best and is the cause of ruining one of the best shows on British television. She is the one who should have her contract terminated with immediate effect.

As she's mixed-race, it's just as accurate to call her 'white'. I know what I'm talking about as I have the same mix of parents.

I like Alesha for who she is, not because she has a particular skin colour. Actually the same goes for everyone as far as I'm concerned.

Here we go....

It is now definitely time for Jay Hunt to resign in favour of (any) black woman.

Jay is going anywhere

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010...t-small-island

Guardians Maggie Brown analaysis



The world [or BBC one] doesnt revolve around Strictly

Very selective reading of the interview, you should become a daily mail journalist.

What she actually said was
She never ONCE said she was hired because she was black. She said that while they lost an older 'role model' on the show they gained another one.

Alesha was hired because she had a high profile [especially after doing Kilimanjaro with Cheryl, Chris Moyles and Gary Barlow].

Arlene was sacked because when they decided to revamp the panel,she was the most expendable of the old panel
Bruno- the funny one, Len - the rules man and Craig - the simon Cowell wannabe.
Arlene role was already covered by Craig and Len.Thus she was the most expendable.

Hunt said: Yes, a lot of people were upset about Arlene but the flip side is, in Alesha, we have a young, black, woman presenter, at the heart of the Saturday night BBC1 schedule."

What difference does a person's colour make - why even refer to it. If Hunt had said "we have a young, white woman, presenter, at the heart of Saturday night' BBC schedule" - would people be defending that statement too. I think not.

Thank you Jake Lyle for your comments - I will take that as a compliment and whilst I know the BBC is not all about "Strictly Come Dancing" - we are on their Digital Spy forum site and people who normally visit it are absolutely passionate about the programme and don't like to see the format being meddled and tampered with. I was upset by Arlene's departure because she knew her subject inside out and Hunt's decision to dismiss her was "age-ist" as was her remarks about Alesha being young. Age and colour should are so irrelevant to the job - it should be about experience and communication skills.

[quote=jake lyle;39091001]Very selective reading of the interview, you should become a daily mail journalist.

What she actually said was


And what if another woman in her 60's was added to the panel now? Wouldn't that be discrimination ? After all we already have 40's, 50's and 6O''s represented. It was about time that someone younger was added - black or not. But, a role model then even better. It always amuses me that so many people refer to Arlene as middle aged well she isn't. Arlene is an older woman and a good role model at that.

Because she's answering a question from a Guardian interviewer, and whilst the rest of the media (being more right wing) view the BBC as a pinko leftie Commie love-fest run by women and gays, the Guardian is a left wing paper and, whilst it's broadly very pro-BBC has criticised it for its lack of diversity.

If you go back and read the articles and comments and blog articles about this decision from the time on the Guardian website, it's full of people saying "and yet Brucie's still there nudge nudge wink wink, old white men are still in control of the BBC and their positions are safe". She's responding to that idea by saying that they've increased diversity on the show, and on the BBC in general, which IS generally lacking in black female presenters (I can think of Diane Louise-Jordan and I don't even know if she presents anything any more)

I don't really like it as a statement, because I feel it's a bit grubby and points scoring, it misses the point, the comments were always doomed to be taken out of context, and it's not really properly defending the decision (if Alesha is a presenter why is she judging and not presenting?), but it isn't "we hired Alesha because she is black", and it is a valid point.

Quote:
"Yes, a lot of people were upset about Arlene but the flip side is, in Alesha, we have a young, black, woman presenter, at the heart of the Saturday night BBC1 schedule

No one ever mentioned her colour, why did Jay Hunt have to bring colour into it.
And judging by the remark of calling her a presenter goes to show she hasn't a clue what Strictly is about.

Precisely

OBVIOUSLY Because there are few old women and black women on PRIMETIME television.

The interview was to promote this weeks women in television event. Jay said that while they lost an 'older woman role model' it gained a 'black one'. Thats the context but bless you if thats too difficult for you to understand.

IF you actually read the guardian interview properly you would have seen that.

Have you actually read it recently, very pro BBC, it is not.

In comparison to the entirity of the rest of the media it is. Given the BBC's propensity to self-flagellate it arguably often comes across as more pro-BBC than the actual BBC at times. Recently the coverage has got more negative but it seems more anti-Thompson than anti-BBC in general. (I just read online - if the actual paper has got more anti-BBC then I throw my hands up).

What a patronising and condescending thing to say to another poster. We are all entitled to our views and just because they don't agree with yours there is no need to be so arrogant.

Age and colour are totally irrelevant, or should be in this day and age. Ms Hunt appears to be a racist and ageist. It seems to me that TV Producers of any reality show with a "judging panel" give these jobs to ex-members of washed up girl-bands whilst getting rid of the older woman. Are these Producers are running a charity for singers who have seen better days? They should be giving the job to someone who has worked in the industry for years and knows their subject inside out rather than eye-candy with big egos and limited vocabulary.

Just a ord of warning here, There are still people on this thread who are insulting and rude to other posters.

It may have escaped notice but two such people have been given the red card for similar posts, perhaps it would be an idea for those bent on being insulting to think about that and moderate their language.