BBC trans row over Brain of Britain final after presenter hails it as an ‘all-woman’ first
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BBC argues over Brain of Britain final after presenter calls it an ‘all-woman’ first
- Russell Davies of Radio 4 said it was ‘full women’ for the Brain of Britain decider
- On Women’s Hour, presenter Emma Barnett described it as a “historic” occasion
- But some listeners objected to the fact that one of the finalists is a trans woman
The BBC promoted an ‘all-women final’ in a quiz competition where one of the participants was transgender.
Russell Davies of Radio 4 said Monday’s 69th Brain of Britain decider was first place for all women.
And on Women’s Hour yesterday, host Emma Barnett described it as a “historic” occasion.
But some listeners objected to the fact that one of the finalists – Emma Laslett – is a trans woman.
One of them wrote, “If four trans women showed up, you would still argue it was a women-only final and a great performance for women. How utterly ridiculous.’
The BBC promoted an ‘all-women final’ for the Brain of Britain quiz, even though one of the contestants, Emma Laslett (above) is transgender
Another tweeted, “I don’t mean to be rude, but this wasn’t a 100 percent female lineup.”
Maya Forstater, from campaign group Sex Matters, said: ‘The sad thing is that when the first Brain of Britain competition with four female contestants actually takes place, it will go unnoticed.’
But Twitter user Rubin Remus said, “Instead of enjoying Brain of Britain like a normal listener, [other Twitter users] complain that they don’t misinterpret a trans woman.’
Miss Laslett is a charity worker from Milton Keynes. The Oxford graduate previously competed in the semi-finals of the long-running BBC TV quiz show Mastermind (above)
Mrs. Laslett studied French at Lincoln College, Oxford
A BBC spokesman did not respond to a request for comment.
Miss Laslett is a charity worker from Milton Keynes. The Oxford graduate previously competed in the semi-finals of the long-running BBC TV quiz Mastermind.
Her specialist subject was the Eurovision Song Contest, from 1981 to the present.
Radio 4’s Russell Davies (left) said it was ‘all-women’ first for Monday’s 69th Brain of Britain decider. And on Women’s Hour yesterday, host Emma Barnett (right) described it as a “historic” occasion
The other Brain of Britain finalists are all previous quiz show winners.
Marianne Fairthorne, a quantitative analyst from London, was the winner of the Mastermind in 2015.
Her specialist subject was the life of Caterina Sforza, a 15th century Italian noblewoman.
Isabelle Heward, from Lincolnshire, won Mastermind in 2017 at the age of 61 on the subject of ‘the life and films of Billy Wilder’.
When she appeared on Mastermind, Miss Laslett’s specialist subject was the Eurovision Song Contest
And Sarah Trevarthen, from Manchester, won Pointless, another BBC show, last year.
She and husband Noel Kelso walked away with the £5,250 jackpot.
Brain of Britain has aired every year since 1963, although it originally appeared ten years earlier on a different show, What Do They Know?
In Brain of Britain, four contestants attempt to answer questions, with bonus points awarded if five are answered correctly in a row.
Maya Forstater, from campaign group Sex Matters (pictured above) said: ‘The sad thing is that when the first Brain of Britain competition with four female contestants actually takes place, it will go unnoticed’