Former Love Island star Chris Hughes has been told by the BBC it was “not appropriate” to compare a female cricket player to Barbie during a pitchside interview.
The BBC reprimanded Chris Hughes, now a sports presenter, for making a comment during an interview with Australian cricketer Maitlan Brown at The Hundred competition. The comment was made after her team, Southern Braves, won against Trent Rockets.
During the conversation with Brown, the Australian all-rounder who represents Southern Brave, Chris Hughes, the former Love Island contestant, made two significant mistakes.
At first, he referred to the female players as ‘batsmen’ in contrast to the BBC’s style of using the gender-neutral term ‘batter’.
When inquiring about the team’s bonding activities, Brown mentioned that “We watched Barbie the other night, all together and it was really good team bonding and the group is gelling really well together.
“That is the key to success, I think, in tournaments like this: how well and how quickly you can gel as a group.”
The 26-year-old revealed she had been to see the Barbie movie with her teammates.
She said: “It was really good team bonding and the group is gelling really well together.”
Hughes, known for his time on Love Island, responded by saying, “You’re a little Barbie yourself with your blue eyes.”
After Brown laughed, Hughes said: “She’s blushing now”.
In response, a BBC spokesperson said: “We have spoken to Chris and explained that his comment was not appropriate.”
As well as the Southern Braves, Brown has played for several domestic Australian teams as well as receiving call-ups to the full Australia squad.
In addition to presenting coverage of The Hundred, Hughes has also worked on ITV’s horse racing programmes.
The incident has received significant backlash on social media, with many expressing their disapproval.
Similar controversies have occurred in cricket before, such as when West Indian all-rounder Chris Gayle faced criticism for his remarks during an interview with Mel McLaughlin in the Big Bash seven years ago.
