Copyright mirror
Ben Fogle once claimed that he was dropped from Countryfile because of his posh accent. The star found fame 25 years ago when he took part in reality TV show Castaway , but then landed a role as a presenter on the BBC favourite in 2001. He was a part of the series for eight years and then left in 2009, the same year that co-host Miriam O’Reilly exited. Miriam claimed she had been unfairly dropped when the show moved from a daytime slot to an evening slot in 2009. She took the BBC to an employment tribunal over ageism and won her case. Ben, 51, later told the Express that he ended up being let go from the series because of his "accent", claiming that he had been told that it was "inaccessible". "When Miriam was dropped from Countryfile she said it was to do with age," said the privately-educated star. "I was working with her and dropped from the show at the same time and was told it was because of my accent." He went on to say: "I don't want to name names but I was told by someone [on the show] that my accent was inaccessible." However, Ben, later returned to Countryfile. He was a presenter on the show between 2014 and 2015 and then again in 2017 and 2018. He has since become well-known for his Channel 5 series, New Lives in the Wild, which sees him spending time with people who have chosen to live more remotely and off the grid. In the past, Ben has also shared his thoughts when other stars have talked about the impact that accents may have when it comes to landing jobs on TV. In 2018, he posted a message on Twitter (which is now X), saying that he was once advised to change the way he spoke. "Interesting to hear Steph McGovern and James Martin claiming they lost work due to their regional accents," said the TV star. "The same happens with posh accents. I was told to get de-elocution classes by one producer to become more regional." The BBC has been approached for comment. Ben Fogle: New Lives in the Wild airs at 11.10am on Channel 5 on Saturday October 25.
