BBC Breakfast fans were left rather unimpressed on Tuesday morning when the show dedicated a portion of its programming to interviewing Nicola Sturgeon about her life in politics.
Sturgeon, whose interview with ITV’s Julia Etchingham also hit headlines this week, appeared on the show to discuss, among other things, the release of her new memoir.
Inevitably, BBC presenters Jon Kay and Sarah Campbell spoke to Sturgeon about her life in the Scottish National Party as well as the personal challenges she’s faced, including a secret miscarriage.
The conversation also turned to Sturgeon’s stance on trans rights and her well-publicised feud with author JK Rowling, the outspoken Harry Potter author who has been a vocal advocate for biological women’s spaces.
“Trans people are probably one of the most stigmatised groups in our society and I don’t believe – in fact, I will challenge this notion for as long as I’ve got breath in my body – I don’t believe that trans rights and women’s rights are in opposition,” Sturgeon said when quizzed about the topic.
“I believe that we can further both and actually furthering one actually helps further the other.
“Let me preface it again, because usually what I say on this issue gets misrepresented, I know many people, probably the majority, who disagree with me on this issue, come from a genuine place.
“But there are also people, and I don’t know how anybody can deny this, forces on the far-right who have weaponised this issue.”
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Attacking the so-called far-right, she continued: “(They) want to use the trans issue to push back on rights more generally, whether those are gay rights, minority rights, or women’s rights, actually.
“Some of the abuse I’ve had on this issue, ironically as it’s in the name of women’s safety, has been deeply misogynist.”
At this point, Campbell raised the fact that JK Rowling is mentioned in her book for wearing a t-shirt saying “Sturgeon: The destroyer of women’s rights”
Sturgeon wrote in her book that she felt “less safe” as a result, claiming to feel “at risk of physical harm”.
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“There are two sides to almost every story in life, and I think we hear a lot about women’s safety from, if I can use the term loosely, the anti-trans rights lobby,” Sturgeon replied.
“I’m making the point that it goes both ways. I face some of the most horrific abuse on this issue than I have on any other issue, and I’ve been involved in a few controversial issues over the years.
“Look, I’m not going to get into… there are some people on this debate who definitely seem to spend a lot more time thinking about me than I spend thinking about them.
“I will always stand up for rights, for equality, for minority rights. There have been many times in my political career when I would’ve made my life easier by staying quiet on some things.
“I don’t want to be that person, I want to stand up for things I believe in and do that with joy and passion and it’s what I will always try to do for the next stage of my life too.”
Sturgeon was then asked if she would debate Rowling on the issue. “I will debate with many people, but I don’t think JK Rowling would be willing to do that. But who knows,” she replied.
“If she was, would you?” Kay probed further, prompting Sturgeon to concede: “Look, I’m not going to particularly get into a thing where I’ll debate with (her).
“I think one of the things my critics cannot say about me is that I don’t debate with people. I’ve probably done more debates than any leader in the UK, so I’ll debate with anybody.”
Sturgeon’s response to the Rowling probe, combined with Kay and Campbell’s seeming unwillingness to press Sturgeon on more contentious issues, left several viewers at home unimpressed.
Taking to X, a number of BBC viewers blasted what they perceived as an “advertisement” for the former SNP member’s new book.
“Why is this woman still being given air time on @BBCBreakfast. If she wants to peddle her book she should be on the One Show or Loose Women,” one fan fumed.
A second agreed: “Why are the mainstream media giving this airtime, she’s no longer relevant and is only doing it to flog her book.”
“BBC getting there priorities wrong again. This woman hates everything about England always has done but now the BBC giving her air time to plug her book,” a third complained.
And a fourth echoed: “She may have crawled out front under her stone but you didn’t need to give her air time. Book out? BBC now advertising?”
“#BBCBreakfast If your going to interview someone like Sturgeon who’s basically ruined Scotland you don’t tickle her stomach and massage her ego for 25 minutes,” a fifth hit out before a sixth raged: “Why is hateful Sturgeon getting so much air time?” (sic)
