Alex Scott has revealed she came dangerously close to leaving the TV industry after a “trial couple of months” when she was honored for her broadcast work at the Royal Television Society Awards on Tuesday.
The Football Focus presenter received the Presenter, Commentator or Sports Expert award at the ceremony held at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London.
Celebrating her win with her girlfriend Jess Glynne, Alex shared a passionate speech on her Instagram Stories, highlighting the challenges she faced as a black woman in a male-dominated industry.
It comes after an investigation by The Mail revealed Alex is the only female main presenter on Saturday terrestrial television.
In her statement, Alex wrote: “I am truly impressed to win this award, especially to be in the same category as people I respect so much.”
Alex Scott has revealed she came dangerously close to leaving the TV industry after a “trial couple of months” when she was honored at the Royal Television Society Awards on Tuesday.
The Football Focus presenter received the Presenter, Commentator or Sports Expert award at the ceremony held at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London.
‘I can’t begin to tell you how timely and great a reminder this is for me. The last few months have been very stressful and for the first time I questioned my position and even thought about leaving this industry.
“A woman in a male-dominated space, and a black woman at that, has been a challenge.
‘I know I am strong and made of tough stuff, but taking on and fighting against the racist/sexist people in this world becomes heavier and heavier every day and sometimes I feel alone.
“There is still a lot of work to be done in this space and that is why it is a great privilege to win this award and be recognized.”
‘Tomorrow I will be sitting smiling on The One Show with my award and I will continue to show it to all the young girls who look at me and want to follow in my footsteps to continue believing in yourself and that you are doing very well!!
‘Thank you RTS for this award, it means a lot to me! Come on!’
Stephen Lyle, BBC Sport’s director of football, also showed his support for Alex, after the former Arsenal star was hit with vile trolling for landing the Football Focus presenting role.
He said: “This award is testament to Alex’s exceptional talent and his dedication to delivering a football presentation that audiences love.”
Alex shared an impassioned speech, highlighting the challenges she has faced as a Black woman in a male-dominated industry.
‘In the face of totally unjustified and unacceptable online hate and blatant misogyny, she acts with grace, professionalism and incredible resilience.
“Alex is not only a vital part of our presenting roster, but also a role model in both sport and television.”
Alex also shared an Instagram clip of the moment he found out about his win while on board a flight and celebrated by toasting with champagne with his girlfriend Jess Glynne.
Alex’s comments come after several pundits, including Eni Aluko and Lucy Ward, were singled out by former footballer Joey Barton, who has shared a series of vile sexist messages.
He compared Aluko and commentator Lucy Ward to serial killers Fred and Rose West last month, before saying the former was “clearly in the Joseph Stalin category” for “murdering the ears of hundreds of thousands of fans”.
After receiving support from ITV, Aluko revealed that she had taken legal action against Barton, while stating that she left the UK because she was “really scared” for her safety following Barton’s comments.
Alex herself has previously detailed the abuse she suffered online after reports suggested she was set to replace Sue Barker as presenter of A Question of Sport.
The former professional footballer turned pundit received a spate of racist abuse online after receiving an incorrect offer to become a host of the BBC’s classic quiz show in 2021.
speaking to The timesScott revealed that the torrent of abuse directed at her left her fearing for her life.
Alex also shared an Instagram clip of the moment he found out about his win while on board a flight, and celebrated by toasting with champagne with his girlfriend Jess Glynne.
‘I was afraid to leave the house even to go to the store. “That’s the stage we had reached: that, oh my God, someone black could be replacing a national treasure and it could cause so much hate,” he explained.
The abuse got to the point that Scott turned to alcohol, but then found in therapy an effective way to come to terms with the more extreme reactions he received on social media.
Although the work on A Question of Sport would ultimately fall to Paddy McGuinness, Scott’s experiences as a target of online abuse would continue.
Notably, Scott came under attack during coverage of the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, with fellow member Lord Digby Jones suggesting he would benefit from elocution lessons due to his East End accent.
The former government minister wrote on Twitter: ‘Enough is enough! I can not take it anymore! Alex Scott ruins a good job presenting to the BBC Olympic team with his notable inability to pronounce the ‘g’s at the end of a word. Competitors DO NOT participate, Alex, in fencing, rowing, boxing, kayaking, weightlifting and swimming.
Scott explained that while he can often accept comments from online naysayers, he found himself in a particularly vulnerable state after last year’s Olympics.
‘I can slip into dark places. And once I slip into dark places, I don’t stop. I loved being at the Olympics, but then I realized the crazy pressure I had put on myself to accept it all: the trolling, the racism, Lord Digby Jones.’
The former Arsenal star also described the euphoria of being at Wembley when the Lionesses finally ended 56 years of pain by lifting the Women’s European Championship in dramatic extra-time scenes.
“Being at Wembley and seeing them win was a full circle moment for me. “I remember crying on air to Gabby (Logan), because she knew it was about so much more than just lifting a trophy: it was about perceptions of women in society.”
Of the 17 programs on BBC One and ITV1 on Saturdays, Football Focus is the only one presented solely by a woman.
Alex presents Football Focus at midday on BBC One on a Saturday, but after 12pm the afternoon is dominated by male presenters.
Of 61 programs on BBC One and ITV1, only seven women appeared as main presenters this weekend and last weekend.
ITV1’s morning schedule is also heavily dominated by male presenters, including Alan Titchmarsh, James Martin and Ant and Dec.
It comes after an investigation by The Mail revealed Alex is the only female main presenter on Saturday terrestrial television.
The BBC and ITV have already been embroiled in a sexism row over female presenters.
In January, former Great British Bake Off presenter Sandi Toksvig told Radio Times there were not enough women presenting TV game and chat shows.
‘I would still like to see more women in charge of shows. Let’s not even get started on chat show hosts. Where are the chat show hosts?
In March 2023, five female BBC news presenters were sidelined as part of a merger between the BBC’s domestic and foreign news channels.
The BBC has been criticized internally for its treatment of women and was pressured to launch an investigation into its recruitment process.