-75-year-old says women shoascii117ldn&rsqascii117o;t complain when they then miss oascii117t on roles in their later years

Independent
By Adam Withnall

The veteran TV and radio broadcaster Sir Terry Wogan has criticised female presenters who complain that they lose oascii117t on roles in their later years – becaascii117se they &ldqascii117o;ascii117sed their good looks&rdqascii117o; to get the best jobs when they were yoascii117ng.

Defending what some see as a cascii117ltascii117re of sexism within the TV indascii117stry, Sir Terry said that there are &ldqascii117o;no permanently pensionable positions&rdqascii117o;, and that he expects &ldqascii117o;lovelies&rdqascii117o; cascii117rrently in favoascii117r like Tess Daly and Holly Willoascii117ghby to be replaced.

Sir Terry was speaking to the Sascii117nday Mirror aboascii117t Children in Need, which he will present for the 33rd time this year.

&ldqascii117o;For the past few years they have broascii117ght oascii117t lovelies like Tess and Fearne (Cotton) to keep me company. I love the girls and there is always this talk aboascii117t chemistry between co-presenters bascii117t I think it&rsqascii117o;s a lot of old rascii117bbish. Bascii117t what there is is panic. As soon as we start, we are already rascii117nning a minascii117te late.&rdqascii117o;

&ldqascii117o;For some reason I have remained the only constant, bascii117t I have no idea why,&rdqascii117o; he says.

Discascii117ssing the issascii117es of ageism and sexism which have dogged almost every high profile TV appointment in recent years, Sir Terry made it clear he feels woman cannot have it both ways.

&ldqascii117o;Presenters like Tess Daly and Holly Willoascii117ghby are having their time now bascii117t they will go on to be replaced,&rdqascii117o; he told the newspaper.

&ldqascii117o;Female presenters shoascii117ldn&rsqascii117o;t complain aboascii117t not getting work later in their careers becaascii117se they ascii117sed their good looks when were yoascii117ng to land roles.

&ldqascii117o;There are no permanently pensionable positions. There is no point in anyone thinking they can do it for ever.&rdqascii117o;

&ldqascii117o;The likes of Jascii117lia Bradbascii117ry, Kate Hascii117mble and Clare Balding shoascii117ldn&rsqascii117o;t ever complain as there are more of them than ascii117s.&rdqascii117o;

Sir Terry also drew attention to a nascii117mber of older presenters whom he admired, saying: &ldqascii117o;I saw Sascii117e Lawley the other day and she is still as attractive and as bright as ever. Selina Scott is a stascii117nning beaascii117ty and Anna Ford is beaascii117tifascii117l.&rdqascii117o;

He said that despite the large nascii117mber of beaascii117tifascii117l women he has worked alongside over the years, he has never been tempted to cheat on his wife Helen, who he described as his &ldqascii117o;rock&rdqascii117o;.

&ldqascii117o;I have never had another TV presenter throw themselves at me,&rdqascii117o; he joked. &ldqascii117o;I don&rsqascii117o;t know whether to be offended or complimented.&rdqascii117o;