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BBC’s Question Time Under Scrutiny Over Professor Winston’s 2021 Appearance
The BBC and Fiona Bruce, presenter of Question Time, are facing renewed calls for an apology to Professor Robert Winston. Viewers are alleging that the esteemed scientist was purportedly “blacklisted” following comments made on the political panel show in 2021. During a segment addressing transgender issues, Professor Winston asserted the biological basis of sex, stating it cannot be altered. Critics suggest his subsequent limited appearances on television are a consequence of these remarks, made during a discussion where he also voiced concerns to Fiona Bruce about potential negative responses and the need to possibly edit the broadcast.
Professor Winston’s 2021 Question Time Appearance
During the program, Professor Winston stated his position: “I will say this categorically, you cannot change your sex. Your sex is actually there in every single cell of your body.” He further explained, “You have a chromosomal sex, you have genetic sex, hormonal sex, psychological, brain sex, they are all different.” The professor then discussed the difficulties in openly addressing scientific topics like biological sex without facing significant criticism.
Fiona Bruce reportedly framed his comments by suggesting they could be interpreted as “transphobic.” Professor Winston responded by highlighting the challenges of public discourse on the topic: “Unfortunately you cannot say this publicly, this is one of the big problems. Even saying this on this programme will undoubtedly result in me getting a huge amount of hate mail. It always does. Overall I think it is a very sad thing that we cannot discuss biological science without getting completely caught up emotionally in something that is completely wrong.”
Renewed Calls for Apology After Supreme Court Ruling
Following his Question Time appearance, Professor Winston’s presence on the show and on television more broadly has been infrequent. A recent UK Supreme Court ruling affirming that the legal definition of ‘woman’ is rooted in biological sex has caused the clip of Professor Winston’s statements to resurface. This has reignited debate and prompted BBC viewers to reiterate demands for an apology from the broadcaster to Professor Winston.
Viewer Reactions and Social Media Response
Online platforms have seen numerous viewers expressing their opinions, with some key sentiments emerging:
- Demands for Professor Winston’s return to television and an apology from the BBC.
- Assertions that Professor Winston, described as a “courageous expert,” was unfairly “vilified” for stating established scientific facts.
- Calls for Fiona Bruce to also issue a personal apology.
- Arguments that Professor Winston’s statement should have concluded the transgender debate earlier, before the Supreme Court ruling.
Examples of viewer comments include:
- “Who would like to see Professor Robert Winston back on TV? Plus the BBC owes him a apology!”
- “This courageous expert in his field said what we already knew to be true years ago was destroyed and vilified.”
- “The BBC and Fiona Bruce need to apologise to this wonderful man.”
- “That public declaration from Prof Winston should have settled the trans debate right there and then… And yes, the @BBC owes him a big apology!”
The BBC has been contacted for comment regarding this matter.