Skip to main content

Laurence Fox's Remarks Serve as a Stark Reminder of the Challenges Still Faced by Women at Work

by Lucy Frewin


In a GB News interview last week, the actor and broadcaster Laurence Fox made a series of misogynistic comments about journalist Ava Evans. The interview broadcast live featured Fox saying: “Show me a single self-respecting man that would like to climb into bed with that woman ever, ever, who wasn’t an incel”. 


Whilst Fox’s comments were outrageous and have landed both him and interviewer Dan Wootton a GB News suspension, they can hardly be described as surprising. 


Laurence Fox is renowned for his controversial self proclaimed “anti woke” campaigning, so much so it formed the basis for his shot at becoming London Mayor. Aside from Fox however, the misogynistic targeting of female journalist Ava Evans is indicative of a wider culture of sexism, inequality and mistreatment when it comes to women in journalism. 


In a recent study reported on in The Guardian, a majority of female journalists worldwide have been the target of online violence including threats of physical violence, death threats and sexual violence. 


A separate study by Reach and Women in Journalism found three quarters of female journalists in the UK have been threatened or felt unsafe in their work. 


In an interview with the Daily Mail, Ava Evans said the messages and threats she had received since the incident with GB News had even made her fear for her safety.


Whilst the targeting of women in the media is not a new issue, the increasing polarisation of the UK over issues such as Brexit and the rise of far right, self proclaimed “anti-woke” figures like Fox have brought the issue to light and heightened hostility towards women like Ava Evans who comment on issues branded as “woke”. 

In the age of the internet algorithm, many of the supporters of far right and “anti-woke” ideology are also involved in incel and misogynistic movements online. 


Laurence Fox’s comments provides a textbook example of the kind of thinking and rhetoric plaguing far right, incel movements, dehumanising, sexualising and objectifying women they disagree with rather than picking apart her arguments. The sense of entitlement displayed by Fox to ask: “Who’d want to shag that?” indicates a total disregard for consent. 


For female journalists in the UK, contending with sexism and misogyny both on and offline is coupled with the chronic issue of pay inequality where women are undervalued and underpaid. 


According to the National Union of Journalists, and analysis by Press Gazette 91 per cent of UK based media companies on average pay their male journalists more than female journalists. 


The BBC was at the forefront of discussions over gender pay inequality when forced to publish their highest earners list and only one third were women. 


Laurence Fox’s comments have brought to light the reality facing the majority of female journalists both in the UK and worldwide; underpaid, undervalued and increasingly the target of sexist and misogynistic abuse. Whilst Fox has since apologised for his comments, the fight for gender equality within the media and society more generally is far from over. 

Most Popular

‘Make Tattooing Safe Again’: Sheffield Based Tattoo Artist Exposed for Indecent Behaviour

 by Emily Fletcher TW: SA, Animal Abuse, Transphobia Photo Credit: @ meiko_akiz uki Recently, an  Instagram account  has been created to provide a  ‘space to safely give a voice to those who want to speak out about the behaviour of one, Sheffield based tattoo artist’. A  total of 40+ posts have been made by the above social media account regarding  one of Sheffield's most popular tattoo artists .  Thankfully, all posts are prefaced with a Content Warning prior to sharing screenshots of the messages that have been sent anonymously to the page. The majority of Content Warnings refer to sexual behaviour, abuse, and sexual assault. It is clear that there is a reoccurring theme within each submission, as many clients appear to have had the same experiences with the tattoo artist. Women, mostly, are being made to feel uncomfortable while being tattooed. One of the most vulnerable positions anyone can be in, tattoo artists should make their clients feel comfortable and safe during the pro

Eurydice’s Last Words

by Kate Bradley I do not want to return To sit in the stalls, Of an empty black box Strewn with petals Leave the ghost light on, Let it shine like a call home, But I will not come back To turn it off alone. I learn this as we walk Our ever so solemn path Our thudding funeral march, You think we’re going back. As I trace my old steps, I fear of the day When the symphony swells, And I land my gaze On you, yet you will be Enraptured by the sound, If you did twist To turn around, You would not see me. So I am not sorry, I speak out into the empty air And I am not sorry. “Turn Around.” You do, you look You think  I fall But I run on, Arms wide open To fall in love With it all “Perhaps she was the one who said, ‘Turn around.” On the X45 bus, back from the Tyneside Cinema, I wrote a poem entitled “Eurydice’s Final Words”, after having seen “Portrait of a Lady on Fire”.  That poem was terrible, so I wrote a new one, as my response to the beautifully poignant film.  In one scene, Héloïse, an 18

Single Review: ‘Tell Me’ - Jay Moussa-Mann

by Ilana Hawdon The feeling of pure betrayal and heartbreak is perfectly captured in Jay Moussa-Mann’s latest single, ‘Tell Me’. Jay Moussa-Mann is the folk dream we have been waiting for. A favourite on BBC Introducing, Radio 6 and BBC Radio Tees, Jay ’s sound is easy on the ears but delightfully addictive. With a background in writing and film, she began her solo musical venture when she released her debut album, ‘Little Deaths’ in late-2019, and since then, Moussa-Mann has defined herself as an artist with unbelievable range and promise.    ‘Tell Me’ is completely timeless; with notes of Carole King and Joni Mitchell, Moussa-Mann creates a folk-inspired track which is simultaneously heart wrenching and strangely empowering. Beginning as a simple guitar tune, ‘Tell Me’ builds with layers of luscious strings and twinkling piano, tied together with Jay ’s vocal line which is equal parts melancholic and divine. The song feels unwaveringly intimate; the lyrics ask, ‘what was I worth?’