BBC Presenter Martine Croxall Sparks Debate After Changing “Pregnant People” to “Women” Live on Air

BBC Broadcast Moment Draws Widespread Attention

BBC News presenter Martine Croxall has found herself at the center of a public debate after changing wording that appeared on her autocue during a live television broadcast.

The veteran anchor was discussing the risks associated with unusually warm weather in the United Kingdom when she reached a line referring to groups considered particularly vulnerable to heat-related illness.

As Croxall read the sentence, she began to say the phrase “pregnant people” before immediately replacing the word “people” with “women.” Her facial expression afterward appeared to signal that the change had been intentional.

The brief moment quickly attracted attention online, where viewers began debating both the language used in the original script and Croxall’s decision to alter it while presenting the news.

Croxall Changes the Autocue Wording

Croxall, 56, has spent decades working in broadcasting and has been associated with the BBC for around 30 years.

During the broadcast, she was discussing people who may face increased risks during periods of high temperatures.

The segment referred to research involving Malcom Mistry and focused on the precautions that certain groups should consider during particularly warm weather.

While reading the prepared script, Croxall reached a passage identifying older people, pregnant individuals and people with existing health conditions as groups requiring additional care.

She then changed the wording as she delivered the sentence live.

“Malcom Mistry, who was involved in the research, says that the aged, pregnant people – women – and those with pre-existing health conditions need to take precautions,” Croxall said during the broadcast.

The correction was accompanied by a visible expression that drew further attention from viewers and helped turn what might otherwise have been a brief on-air change into a much larger discussion.