McCririck the Old Boobie played a role for C4

[bennythedip2]

Originally Posted by Tony2005

All they have done is take all the presenters from BBC who were all bland and poor ...


I believe that audience figures are down over 60% since the new programme has come in....

Haha... Well lets hope they sack the new producer, sooner rather than later

[bennythedip2]

Did we ever find out how this all ended with McCrirrick. or is it still ongoing ?

And whatever happened to 'Shirl' (Shirly) in Eastenders, last i saw the binmen were carting her mobile phone off in bin-liners
Was she in the bin-liners as well ??

The world must be passing me bye, can't keep up ..

[Part-Timer]

The Tribunal panel are considering now, a decision is expected mid November.

[bennythedip2]

He lost his case

[Tony2005]

McCririck loses discrimination claim


JOHN McCRIRICK has lost his £3 million age discrimination claim against Channel 4 and TV production company IMG Sports Media, the betting pundit revealed on Wednesday.

McCririck was seeking damages and compensation, or reinstatement to the role that for over 29 years made him one of the most recognisable personalities on television, after being dropped when IMG won the contract from Highflyer to take over Channel 4's racing output from the start of the year.

However, after a lengthy deliberation that started at the conclusion of the hearing on October 7, McCririck has revealed that the tribunal panel has found in favour of Channel 4 and IMG.

Channel 4 successfully argued that McCririck was released because of his public persona, as crafted through his appearances on reality shows like Celebrity Big Brother and Celebrity Wife Swap, and that it was attempting to take its racing coverage in a more mainstream direction and did not consider he would appeal to a wider audience.

Explaining their findings in the judgement, the panel said: "All the evidence is that Mr McCririck's pantomime persona, as demonstrated on the celebrity television appearances, and his persona when appearing on Channel 4 Racing, together with his self-described bigoted and male chauvinist views were clearly unpalatable to a wide potential audience.

"The tribunal is satisfied that the respondent had the legitimate aim of attracting a wider audience to horse racing."

McCririck, who accused Channel 4 bosses of being age-obsessed and labelled the broadcaster's chief creative officer Jay Hunt a serial offender, had previously said he faced the threat of losing his home if failing in his action, having borrowed against the property to finance the legal battle.

More to follow...

[Part-Timer]

Thank god for some common sense at last.

[Tony2005]

He owns two houses in Primrose Hill which is on of the best addresses in London so i doubt he will struggle too much....

The problem is that if they found in his favour then it would open the floodgates for other people from other industries to claim for the same dismissal ......

[Tony2005]

McCririck 'inconsolable' after tribunal verdict



JOHN McCRIRICK on Thursday insisted he had no regrets over bringing his age discrimination claim against Channel 4 despite being left "inconsolable and desolate" by the Central London Employment Tribunal ruling against him.

Britain's highest-profile racing pundit accepts the decision signed the death knell on his long terrestrial TV career although he will continue to feature on At The Races where he is next booked to appear on Sunday morning's Forum programme.

McCririck, 73, who will be at Cheltenham on Friday in a bid to lift his spirits, admits the failed legal battle has come at a heavy financial cost which he has still to fully quantify, but said his home is not at risk.

"There is nowhere for me to go," he said "It's like racing, if you lose by a nose, a short head or 20 lengths it makes no difference, you are vanquished and that's it.

"But I couldn't have lived with myself if I hadn't taken them on. The anonymous suits and skirts that make these decisions and are unanswerable and unaccountable to anybody. It was unjust what they did and there was a cull of the over-50s and I couldn't have laid down and accepted it, but I lost and that's the judicial system in this country. We had two very fair hearings, a High Court judge made the decision, and that's what the law said and you can't argue with it.

"The financial cost is going to be very bad, but that was always going to be part of it, although I won't lose my home."

McCririck, who was claiming £3 million, took his former employer and IMG Media, producers of Channel 4's racing output following the network's acquisition of the sport's terrestrial broadcasting rights, to the tribunal alleging his sacking last December was motivated by age discrimination.

In dismissing his claim, the tribunal said: "All the evidence is that Mr McCririck's pantomime persona, as demonstrated on celebrity television appearances, and his persona when appearing on Channel 4 Racing, together with his self-described bigoted and male chauvinist views, were clearly unpalatable to a wider public."

Faced with this damning indictment, McCririck said: "Who will want to employ me now [on terrestrial TV]? But ATR have been very good to me throughout and I am very grateful for work I get from them."

He went on: "I am inconsolable and desolate but what can you do? There are over two million people out of work in this country and I am not the worst off, but when you lose like this when I thought our case was overwhelming is very disappointing.

"All the pantomime [behaviour] and sexism was [for] Channel 4, and when you are sacked after 29 years and nobody faces you up and asks you to change, it is absolutely disgraceful, but that is what the judge ruled and you have to accept it."