Selena Scott
LONDON, England (Sunday Mirror), August 31, 2008:
By Lori Campbell
Newsreader Selina Scott is fighting for up to £1 million in compensation from Channel Five, claiming she was ditched because she is too old.
Selina, 57, says she was asked by C5 bosses to fill in for Natasha Kaplinsky, 35, when she goes on maternity leave in a few weeks.
But her £200,000-a-year contract to front Five News was cancelled at the last minute when a new boss arrived and demanded a younger face, she claims. After reportedly axing Selina's deal over the phone, Five recruited Isla Traquair, 28, and Matt Barbel, 32, in her place.
Now she is taking the channel to an employment tribunal, claiming age discrimination. The case, in which C5 and its new director of programmes Ben Gale are named as defendants, has been listed at the London Employment Service in Holborn. Legal experts say C5 could have to find close to £1million to settle out of court.
National favourite... Selina in 1984
Selina found fame on News At Ten before launching BBC Breakfast in 1983. She later worked on The Clothes Show, and was a guest presenter on Wogan before returning to news first with CBS in America and then back in Britain on Sky in 1992.
According to TV sources, she was offered the high-profile 5pm and 7pm weekday slots for Five News at the beginning of the year. She was also told the one-year contract could lead to a longer role.
But in April, Five appointed new director of programmes Gale, previously commissioning editor at the BBC. Our source said: "Selina was really keen to do the job, she saw it as a great opportunity to revive her TV career. But she claims that Ben Gale wanted someone younger for the job. Just days before she was due to sign her contract, Selina was told in a phone call that the deal was off. She was furious because she believes she was being dumped merely because of her age."
Last night top employment lawyer Jonathan Mansfield said: "She has to prove that Channel Five cancelled her contract because of her age. Even without concrete evidence, the judge could agree that offering her a contract, taking it away, then giving it to someone younger is enough to suggest age discrimination."
And he said Selina could be in line for a huge compensation deal. He added: "Firstly, she could claim for loss of earnings as a result of the contract being withdrawn. She could also seek compensation for injury to feelings." But he said Five could be keen to settle out of court to prevent a potentially humiliating public tribunal.
The Age Discrimination Act was introduced in 2006, paving the way for other presenters ditched because of their age to sue.
Mr Mansfield said: "This case could open the floodgates for other people in the entertainment industry whose contracts are not continued as they get older."
In January, Selina publicly attacked the BBC for dropping female newsreaders in their 50s after veteran newsreader Moira Stuart was axed.
She said: "I go to America a lot and see a great raft of older women on television like Barbara Walters who inspire women of my age. Here, you can forget all that."
A TV source said: "Getting Selina back to terrestrial TV at 57 would have been a brilliant move by Channel Five. But they have fluffed it appallingly."
A Channel Five spokesman said: "We do not accept this claim and will be vigorously defending it."
Selina's agent Sue Ayton said: "I'm about to go out and I can't contact Selina, so I'm not interested in what you have to say."
lori.campbell@sundaymirror.co.uk
Selena Scott
LONDON, England (Sunday Mirror), August 31, 2008:
By Lori Campbell
Newsreader Selina Scott is fighting for up to £1 million in compensation from Channel Five, claiming she was ditched because she is too old.
Selina, 57, says she was asked by C5 bosses to fill in for Natasha Kaplinsky, 35, when she goes on maternity leave in a few weeks.
But her £200,000-a-year contract to front Five News was cancelled at the last minute when a new boss arrived and demanded a younger face, she claims. After reportedly axing Selina's deal over the phone, Five recruited Isla Traquair, 28, and Matt Barbel, 32, in her place.
Now she is taking the channel to an employment tribunal, claiming age discrimination. The case, in which C5 and its new director of programmes Ben Gale are named as defendants, has been listed at the London Employment Service in Holborn. Legal experts say C5 could have to find close to £1million to settle out of court.
National favourite... Selina in 1984
Selina found fame on News At Ten before launching BBC Breakfast in 1983. She later worked on The Clothes Show, and was a guest presenter on Wogan before returning to news first with CBS in America and then back in Britain on Sky in 1992.
According to TV sources, she was offered the high-profile 5pm and 7pm weekday slots for Five News at the beginning of the year. She was also told the one-year contract could lead to a longer role.
But in April, Five appointed new director of programmes Gale, previously commissioning editor at the BBC. Our source said: "Selina was really keen to do the job, she saw it as a great opportunity to revive her TV career. But she claims that Ben Gale wanted someone younger for the job. Just days before she was due to sign her contract, Selina was told in a phone call that the deal was off. She was furious because she believes she was being dumped merely because of her age."
Last night top employment lawyer Jonathan Mansfield said: "She has to prove that Channel Five cancelled her contract because of her age. Even without concrete evidence, the judge could agree that offering her a contract, taking it away, then giving it to someone younger is enough to suggest age discrimination."
And he said Selina could be in line for a huge compensation deal. He added: "Firstly, she could claim for loss of earnings as a result of the contract being withdrawn. She could also seek compensation for injury to feelings." But he said Five could be keen to settle out of court to prevent a potentially humiliating public tribunal.
The Age Discrimination Act was introduced in 2006, paving the way for other presenters ditched because of their age to sue.
Mr Mansfield said: "This case could open the floodgates for other people in the entertainment industry whose contracts are not continued as they get older."
In January, Selina publicly attacked the BBC for dropping female newsreaders in their 50s after veteran newsreader Moira Stuart was axed.
She said: "I go to America a lot and see a great raft of older women on television like Barbara Walters who inspire women of my age. Here, you can forget all that."
A TV source said: "Getting Selina back to terrestrial TV at 57 would have been a brilliant move by Channel Five. But they have fluffed it appallingly."
A Channel Five spokesman said: "We do not accept this claim and will be vigorously defending it."
Selina's agent Sue Ayton said: "I'm about to go out and I can't contact Selina, so I'm not interested in what you have to say."
lori.campbell@sundaymirror.co.uk
