Today, a Guardian investigation has found that BBC presenter Ashley Cain has a history of making abusive and misogynistic remarks about women. His comments were publicly available on X, raising questions about the BBC’s approach to vetting.
Young Women’s Trust CEO Katharine Sacks-Jones, says:
“The BBC commissioned Ashley Cain twice despite his public history of misogyny and abusive messages to women. They praised his ability to connect with young men. But what about young women? What message does this send about how much their safety and dignity actually matter to the institutions that shape our culture?
This matters far beyond the BBC. Every organisation that platforms, hires, or promotes individuals has a responsibility to vet them, not just for qualifications and CV highlights, but for how they treat people, and specifically how they treat women.
We support young women navigating workplaces that too often still fail them. Stories like this are a stark reminder that cultural change requires more than good intentions, it requires processes, accountability, and the willingness to act on what you find.
The women affected by failures like this pay the ultimate price. It’s time institutions did too.”