BBC presenter Alex Scott has responded to Lord Digby Jones' complaint that her London accent "spoils" the coverage of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, saying that she is "proud" of her accent.
Scott, who has played football for Arsenal and England and who also competed at the 2012 London Olympics, has been providing commentary for several Olympic events this summer.
Lord Jones, who previously sat in the House of Lords, criticised Scott for her "inability to pronounce her g's", in a tweet this weekend.
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But Scott has hit back at the comment, urging others not to allow judgment to "hold you back".
"I'm from a working class family in East London, Poplar, Tower Hamlets and I am PROUD," she wrote on Twitter in response to the comments. "Proud of the young girl who overcame obstacles, and proud of my accent! It's me, it's my journey, my grit.
"A quick one to any young kids who may not have a certain kind of privilege in life. Never allow judgments on your class, accent, or appearance hold you back. Use your history to write your story. Keep striving, keep shining and don't change for anyone.
"Tweets like this just give me the energy to keep going ... See you tomorrow.. live on BBC baby."
Scott has received a wave of support following the incident, with Sir Stephen Fry replying to Lord Jones with: "However you're titled, you disgrace the upper house with your misplaced snobbery" and MP Dawn Butler advising Scott to "Keep rising".
This month, Scott will take over from Dan Walker as the presenter of Football Focus, making her the show's first permanent female presenter. She will also be the touchline correspondent for ITV's Soccer Aid this September, presenting the live charity event with Dermot O'Leary.
Scott took part in Strictly Come Dancing in 2019, competing with professional dancer Neil Jones, and finished in fifth place.
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Reporter & Sub-Editor, Digital Spy Susannah is a freelance writer and sub-editor, specialising in the entertainment industry. She graduated in 2014, with a BA in English and American Literature and Creative Writing, and an MA in Creative Producing. She’s been writing for Digital Spy ever since, after first getting involved through work experience, and has written hundreds of stories for the site on a range of topics, from The Sims to Doctor Who. Susannah has also written for Reveal Magazine. Her special interests are soaps (her Mastermind subject would be 2000s Coronation Street), Marvel and Star Wars. She can also quote far too many lines from Friends and Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
