Written by Morgan Cormack
The former footballer and pundit has spoken out against the online abuse she consistently receives – but won’t let that deter her from continuing her presenting career.
Alex Scott has gone from being a former England and Arsenal footballer to one of the most well-known faces on our TV screens.
But even with her nationwide recognition and dedication to changing the face of modern-day football, Scott has revealed that she still receives an onslaught of online abuse. But the broadcaster contests that such vitriol won’t deter her from continuing her career as a pundit.
Speaking to Radio Times, Scott revealed: “I’ve had so many tweets saying I should be at home ironing or cooking. I don’t care about those, but sometimes people threaten my life and those have to be taken seriously.
“It’s my responsibility to change perceptions by sitting in that chair and talking about football.”
Since transitioning her football career to being that of a presenter, Scott has received her fair share of backlash – over her background and accent, including when former Labour minister and ex-House Of Lords member Digby Jones last year criticised Scott’s pronunciation and asked if someone could give her elocution lessons.
Scott says that, at the time, she simply told the BBC’s director of sport, Barbara Slater, that she “didn’t want to be taken off air because then who wins?”
She will be part of the BBC’s coverage of the Women’s European Championships next month and it’s yet another reminder of the strides that female football has gone through over the years. According to the Football Association, female football has steadily become more popular over the years, with more women and girls playing and watching the sport.
However, Scott does admit that the game’s growth has its downsides and says that diversity within teams is still an ongoing issue that needs to be addressed.
She said concrete pitches in council estate areas “aren’t as important any more” as “academies have appeared that are maybe two hours away, and an inner-city street kid doesn’t have the financial means to access them.”
She adds: “One of the girls I’m mentoring said that when she looks at the England team she doesn’t see herself represented … That needs to be addressed.”
While Scott’s mission as a pundit is a commendable one, her experience of abuse is, unfortunately, a common one for female presenters.
In an interview with Stylist, Scott has been open about her own mental health journey, how therapy is “the best thing ever” and recognising that “there’s not just one experience of mental health”. Even so, Scott’s experience only highlights that #BeKind is an online moment that many forget about – but it’s something that, thankfully, won’t stop her from continuing to grace our screens.
The full interview with Alex Scott appears in the Women’s Euro 2022 issue of Radio Times.
Images: Getty
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