Martine Croxall
{{Short description|British journalist and news presenter}}
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{{EngvarB|date=November 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2021}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Martine Croxall
| honorific_suffix = FRGS
| image =
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| birthname = Martine Sarah Croxall
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1969|2|23}}
| birth_place = Stoke Golding, Leicestershire, England
| death_date =
| death_place =
| education = Bablake School
University of Leeds
| occupation = Journalist, news presenter
| alias =
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| title =
| family =
| children = 2
| relatives =
| years_active = 1991–present
| credits = {{ubl|BBC News Channel|BBC Weekend News|BBC World News|BBC News at Nine|World News Today|BBC News at Five|BBC News at One}}
| agent =
}}
Martine Sarah Croxall {{post nominals|FRGS|country=GBR}} (born 23 February 1969) is a British television journalist. She is one of the main news presenters on BBC News. She began her career working for the BBC in 1991 and joined the BBC News team in 2001. Croxall has presented various news programmes, including World News Today, BBC Weekend News, Dateline London and BBC News at One.
Education
Martine Sarah Croxall was born on 23 February 1969 and grew up in Stoke Golding, a village in the Hinckley and Bosworth district of Leicestershire, England, where her father Ian ran Croxall Hosiery.{{cite web|url=https://www.stokegolding.co.uk/croxalls-1999/|title=Croxall's 1999|date=8 April 2016}}{{Cite web |title=Ian Croxall obituary |url=https://www.stokegolding.co.uk/wp/wp-content/uploads/stoker_12_21.pdf |magazine=The Stoker (No.207, Dec/Jan 2021/22) |location=Stoke Golding, Leics |page=7}}{{Cite news |last1=Moore |first1=Mason |last2=Ambrose |first2=Tom |date=24 October 2022 |title=BBC newsreader originally from Stoke Golding taken off air after 'potential breach of impartiality' |url=https://hinckleyfreepress.co.uk/2022/10/24/bbc-newsreader-originally-from-stoke-golding-taken-off-air-after-potential-breach-of-impartiality/ |access-date=6 May 2023 |website=Hinckley Free Press |language=en-US}} She has one younger sister.{{Cite web |last=Croxall |first=Martine |date=10 March 2023 |title=Martine Croxall: I've been saying 'no' more to family, friends and work - it's life-changing |url=https://inews.co.uk/opinion/martine-croxall-saying-no-family-friends-work-life-changing-2198781 |access-date=28 April 2023 |website=inews.co.uk |language=en}} She attended the independent Bablake School in Coventry{{cite web|url=http://www.bablake.com/general_page.php?page=whybablake|title=Why Bablake? – Bablake School|website=bablake.com|access-date=14 November 2009|archive-date=10 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150510174258/http://www.bablake.com/general_page.php?page=whybablake|url-status=dead}} and studied Geography at the University of Leeds, from where she graduated in 1990.{{cite web|url=https://spotlight.leeds.ac.uk/the-sound-of-leeds/index.html |title=The sound of Leeds |access-date=10 March 2025 |website=spotlight.leeds.ac.uk |quote=TV journalist Martine Croxall (Geography 1990)}}
Career
Croxall began with the BBC on work experience at BBC Radio Leicester in 1991. She followed this working at BBC East Midlands Today, the BBC regional news programme for the region. She has also worked at Newsroom South East (1997) and UK Today.
She is a regular news presenter on BBC News between 18:30 and midnight, alternate Thursdays, Friday{{ndash}}Sunday. She occasionally hosts Afternoon Live on BBC News and has presented on both BBC World News and World News Today.
Croxall was the BBC's main presenter during the November 2015 Paris attacks. Her presentation was subsequently praised by the American journalist David Henderson.{{cite web|url=http://www.davidhenderson.com/2015/11/17/in-the-worst-of-times-a-star-rises-in-the-field-of-journalism/|title=In the worst of times, a star rises in the field of journalism|website=DavidHenderson.com|date=17 November 2015|access-date=1 May 2017|archive-date=1 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201131343/https://www.davidhenderson.com/2015/11/17/in-the-worst-of-times-a-star-rises-in-the-field-of-journalism/|url-status=dead}}
{{external media | width = 210px | float = right
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| video1 = [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fT6ByzQsKY Announcement of the death of the Duke of Edinburgh on the BBC News channel] read by Croxall.}}
She was presenting BBC News on 9 April 2021, when the news broke of the death of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Her delivery was praised for its professionalism and tone.{{cite web |title=Prince Philip: Watch the moment the BBC halted its scheduled broadcasts to announce the Duke of Edinburgh's death live on air |url=https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/people/prince-philip-watch-the-moment-the-bbc-halted-its-scheduled-broadcasts-to-announce-the-duke-of-edinburghs-death-live-on-air-3194949 |last=Marlborough |first=Conor |date=9 April 2021 |website=Edinburgh Evening News |access-date=9 April 2021 |language=en}}{{cite web |title=BBC presenter appears to fight back tears as she announces Philip's death |url=https://uk.news.yahoo.com/bbc-presenter-appears-fight-back-124559080.html |last=Harding |first=Laura |date=9 April 2021 |website=Yahoo News |agency=PA Media |access-date=9 April 2021}}
On 21 May 2021, Croxall presented Dateline London for the first time. Since 2017 Croxall has presented BBC Weekend News lunchtime edition. On 19 June 2021 Croxall presented BBC Weekend News evening and late bulletins for the first time. On 1 September 2021, Croxall presented BBC News at One for the first time.{{cite tweet |last=Croxall |first=Martine |author-link=Martine Croxall |user=MartineBBC |number=1433033881633054724 |date=1 September 2021 |title=On the telly for the #BBCNews at One on @BBCOne and my beloved News Channel https://t.co/5tRg9DwEqy |language=en |access-date=8 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210901125858/https://twitter.com/MartineBBC/status/1433033881633054724 |archive-date=1 September 2021 |url-status=live}}
In March 2022, Croxall won an episode of Celebrity Mastermind; her specialist subject was American investigative journalist Nellie Bly.{{cite web|last=Garrett |first=Lee |url=https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/celebs-tv/bbc-newsreader-leicestershire-takes-really-6760754|title=BBC newsreader from Leicestershire takes on "really scary" iconic TV quiz show|website=Leicester Mercury|date=6 March 2022 |access-date=6 March 2022}}
Croxall was taken off air for 11 days and found to have breached impartiality rules for comments made introducing the BBC News channel's "The Papers" newspaper review on 23 October 2022. Following the sudden news that Boris Johnson had withdrawn from contesting the Conservative Party leadership, Croxall declared that it was "all very exciting" and asked if she was "allowed to be this gleeful", before remarking that their review of tomorrow's papers would be difficult as they were being hastily rewritten. The BBC concluded that Croxall's "remarks and reactions... caused a significant risk the audience could believe opinions were being expressed on the Conservative leadership contest."{{cite web|last=Bushby |first=Helen |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-63500745 |title=Martine Croxall: BBC News presenter breached impartiality rules, corporation says |work=BBC News |date=3 November 2022 |access-date=3 November 2022}}
On 2 February 2023, it was confirmed that Croxall – alongside many other presenters of the domestic BBC News Channel – would lose their presenting roles as part of the BBC's relaunched news channel.{{cite web | url=https://deadline.com/2023/02/bbc-news-channel-cuts-presenters-1235246467/ | title=BBC Cuts 10 Top Presenter Jobs Ahead of News Channel Merger |last=Kanter |first=Jake |website=Deadline |date=2 February 2023 }}
On 26 May 2024, Croxall returned to screen on the BBC News channel.{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/article/2024/may/26/bbc-presenter-martine-croxall-returns-to-screen-after-bringing-tribunal-claim/ |title=BBC presenter Martine Croxall returns to screen after bringing tribunal claim |work=The Guardian |date=26 May 2024 |last1=Moloney |first1=Charlie }}
On 22 June 2025, when reading the autocue for a news report about a study from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Croxall controversially amended, "with emphasis and a slight roll of her eyes",{{Cite news |last=Singh |first=Anita |date=2025-06-23 |title=BBC backs Martine Croxall after she corrected ‘pregnant people’ script |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/06/23/bbc-backs-martine-croxall-pregnant-people-women/ |access-date=2025-06-24 |work=The Telegraph |language=en-GB |issn=0307-1235}}{{Cite news |last=Miller |first=Dale |date=2025-06-23 |title=BBC presenter Martine Croxall makes 'quite a ride' comment after JK Rowling hails 'pregnant people' refusal |url=https://www.scotsman.com/news/uk-news/bbc-presenter-martine-croxall-makes-quite-a-ride-comment-after-jk-rowling-hails-pregnant-people-refusal-5188953 |access-date=2025-06-23 |work=The Scotsman |language=en-GB }}{{Cite web |last=Stout |first=Amelia |date=2025-06-22 |title=JK Rowling praises BBC presenter for ‘pregnant women’ correction |url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/jk-rowling-praises-bbc-presenter-for-pregnant-women-correction-bln66603r |access-date=2025-06-23 |website=The Times |language=en-GB }} the gender-neutral term "pregnant people" to "women". She was praised by author and anti-transgender{{Cite web |last=Petter |first=Olivia |date=17 September 2020 |title=Mermaids writes open letter to JK Rowling following her recent comments on trans people |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/mermaids-jk-rowling-transphobia-transgender-sexual-abuse-domestic-letter-a9565176.html |access-date=26 March 2022 |work=The Independent |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200615235531/https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/mermaids-jk-rowling-transphobia-transgender-sexual-abuse-domestic-letter-a9565176.html |archive-date=15 June 2020}}{{Cite web |last=Villarreal |first=Daniel |date=24 June 2025 |title=JK Rowling says to photograph women in toilets just in case they’re transgender|url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/jk-rowling-says-to-photograph-women-in-toilets-just-in-case-they-re-transgender/ar-AA1HhfJM |access-date=2025 June 25 |work=MSN]}} campaigner [[J. K. Rowling,{{Cite web |last=Hansford |first=Amelia |date=2025-05-26 |title=JK Rowling Women's Fund to support gender-critical legal cases |url=https://www.thepinknews.com/2025/05/26/jk-rowling-womens-fund-explainer/ |access-date=2025-06-24 |website=PinkNews {{!}} Latest lesbian, gay, bi and trans news {{!}} LGBTQ+ news |language=en-US}} who has publicly opposed gender-neutral language in contexts related to sex and reproduction. The Times reported that "the BBC does not have specific guidelines on the use of gender-neutral terms such as 'pregnant people{{'"}}. Croxall subsequently posted on social media with a screenshot from the broadcast, saying "A huge thank you to everyone who has chosen to follow me today for whatever reason. It's been quite a ride...".
Personal life
Croxall has two children.{{Cite web |title=Martine Croxall |url=https://www.northbanktalent.com/clients/martine-croxall/ |access-date=23 April 2023 |website=Northbank Talent Management}} She lives in St Albans, Hertfordshire.{{cite web |date=1 February 2015 |title=BBC presenter shares secrets of the newsroom at St Albans school |url=https://www.hertsad.co.uk/news/bbc-presenter-shares-secrets-of-the-newsroom-at-st-albans-5016952 |access-date=3 May 2022 |website=Herts Advertiser |language=en-UK}}{{cite web |last=Pearman |first=Rob |title=Martine Croxall - BBC TV News - Local radio from St Albans |url=https://radioverulam.com/podcast/martine-croxall-bbc-tv-news/ |access-date=3 May 2022 |website=Radio Verulam |language=en-GB |archive-date=24 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201124065054/https://radioverulam.com/podcast/martine-croxall-bbc-tv-news/ |url-status=dead }}
She is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.{{cite web|url=http://geographical.co.uk/people/i-m-a-geographer/item/1729-martine-croxall-journalist-and-bbc-news-broadcaster|title=Martine Croxall: journalist and BBC News broadcaster |first=Paul|last=Presley|date=20 June 2016 |website=Geographical|access-date=27 September 2017|archive-date=18 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210418155921/http://geographical.co.uk/people/i-m-a-geographer/item/1729-martine-croxall-journalist-and-bbc-news-broadcaster|url-status=dead}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|id=1620525|name=Martine Croxall}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Croxall, Martine}}
Category:20th-century British journalists
Category:21st-century British journalists
Category:Alumni of the University of Leeds
Category:BBC newsreaders and journalists
Category:British women television journalists
Category:Fellows of the Royal Geographical Society
Category:People educated at Bablake School