The BBC has come below hearth for hiring Australian tennis participant Nick Kyrgios as a commentator for the upcoming Wimbledon event as a consequence of his historical past of violence towards girls.
Kyrgios pleaded responsible to assaulting former girlfriend Chiara Passari in 2021, nonetheless these prices have been dismissed.
Kyrgios can also be identified to help Andrew Tate, who’s at present going through rape and human trafficking prices in Romania.
The BBC has confirmed Kyrgios would be part of their crew of commentators below the idea he is not going to be taking part in as a consequence of damage.
British MP Caroline Nokes informed the Telegraph the BBC ought to grasp their head in disgrace over the appointment.
“It is a shame and reveals the utter contempt our nationwide broadcaster has in the direction of girls,” she informed the publication.
“Not content material with persistently underpaying their very own feminine workers and forcing out girls as soon as they hit a sure age, they now convey a person who admitted assaulting a lady on board for Wimbledon.”
A variety of girls’s advocates have expressed their distaste for the appointment.
Jamie Klingler, co-founder of UK social justice group Reclaim These Streets, informed RN Breakfast there have been hundreds of thousands of better-qualified individuals to commentate Wimbledon.
“As a substitute of doing that they are going for lowest widespread denominators for what they think about the most recent dangerous boy of tennis,” she mentioned.
“Effectively, if the dangerous boy of tennis has to incorporate beating up girls, I do not need them on my screens, I do not need them within the nation.”
She criticised the taxpayer-funded channel for “excusing sexism” by permitting Kyrgios on the present.
“We appear to have a large hole between treating violence towards girls the way in which it must be handled when a person can hit both a ball or a musical be aware,” she mentioned.
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Ms Klingler mentioned she and different social teams had reached out to the BBC for remark. The Broadcaster mentioned they might reply in 12 days.
BBC chief content material officer Charlotte Moore introduced Kyrgios can be becoming a member of a line-up together with John McEnroe, Martina Navratilova, Billie Jean King, Pat Money, Tim Henman, Tracy Austin, Annabel Croft and Johanna Konta.
“And in addition becoming a member of the line-up this yr can be 2021 champion Ash Barty and, if he isn’t taking part in, the 2022 Wimbledon finalist Nick Kyrgios — something may occur there,” she mentioned.
Kyrgios just lately did commentary on the Australian Open for ESPN.
