JK Rowling has praised BBC presenter Martine Croxall for overruling an autocue line that used the term ‘pregnant people’ instead of ‘women’.
The journalist, 56, was introducing new research on the number of heat-related deaths expected amid Britain's current heatwave.
However, when the term ‘pregnant people’ appeared on the autocue, Ms Croxall initially read it aloud, then paused and amended it with a smile.
She said: “Malcolm Mistry, who was involved in the research, said the aged, pregnant people - women! - and those with pre-existing health conditions need to take precautions.”
The Harry Potter author, 59, took to social media to give praise, saying: “I have a new favourite BBC presenter.”
I have a new favourite BBC presenter. https://t.co/l2gkThccty
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) June 22, 2025
She shared the video from a post by SEEN in Journalism which read: “Good to see accuracy on BBC News.”
It is understood the term ‘pregnant people’ was used in the research the BBC was reporting on and not written by the BBC itself.
Many other social media users praised Ms Croxall for her “common sense”, while one user referred to her as a “force of female nature”.
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One person wrote: “BBC News presenter Martine Croxall refuses to say ‘pregnant people’ as she corrects the teleprompter live on air and says ‘WOMEN’ whilst rolling her eyes at what she was reading. At least there’s one BBC news presenter that has common sense. Well done Martine.”
Another said: “Martine Croxall! She’s long been a favourite in our household for her slightly bemused delivery.”
“Martine Croxall is a legend,” said another.
