“Those Who Ridiculed My Accent Highlight Their Ignorance”

Russell Evans wrote an opinion piece for 'The Guardian', fighting back at ludicrous criticisms of his London accent

SPEAKING OUT: Russell Evans

WHO KNEW an accent could spark such concern? Well, BBC presenter Russell Evans now knows all too well, as he was unfortunately subjected to snobby commentary and caught unnecessary flack for pronouncing some words with the ‘f’ phonetic instead of the ‘th’.

In a world filled with ongoing natural disasters, threats of a nuclear war, racial tension reaching its peak and more, this hardly seems like something worth making the news agenda – but as we all know, the British public do love to put in a complaint or two.

Whether its the neckline of Amanda Holden’s dress being too low on Britain’s Got Talent or merely the pronunciation of ‘thing’ as ‘fing’ – there’s no doubt that Ofcom’s phone is frequently off the hook as we Brits do love to find something to complain about.

But on this occasion, it’s totally uncalled for. Does one complain about Jonathan Ross’ pronouciation of words? Probably not. Are you unable to understand what’s being said when a word is pronounced in a way in which you’re not accustomed to? Unlikely. So what is the real problem?

I understand that we’re conditioned to believe that the ‘proper’ way of speaking is nothing other than the Queen’s English – but linguistic prejudice (yes, that’s a real thing) shouldn’t be acceptable – and thank God it isn’t.

INSPIRE

The BBC stood behind Evans after the news reports broke out, stating:

“Our announcers are encouraged to speak in their natural style and directed to clearly communicate the right information to our audiences.”

Those thoughts were echoed in Evans’ very own opinion piece for The Guardian. He said:

“It was my London accent that got me into voiceovers, and I will always celebrate it. Now that I’m here, it will inspire many other young Londoners, as well as other people from marginalised groups.

“They may not speak with received pronunciation – but they will be emboldened that their voices are still valid in organisations such as the BBC. This in turn will drive social mobility and inclusion, which is surely a good thing.”

As an east Londoner myself – who happens to be a published journalist for a national newspaper, 2:1 degree holder, and still pronounces ‘water’ without a ‘t’ in the middle – I know for a fact that my ability to communicate both effectively and eloquently isn’t comprised because I may not speak the way you do.

Not to mention, diversity isn’t just limited to someone’s race. Diversity in languages, accents, dialects also apply too, and that is something the BBC are keen to celebrate. You should too.

Read Evans’ opinion piece on The Guardian website.

Comments Form

3 Comments

  1. | Glenda Flatt

    This just results in the dumbing down of our language. Not to be defended and it’s not to be tolerated.Interestingly,it only seems to be Afro Caribbean lads employed as announcers when their speech is poor. I’ve yet to hear a young white voice as announcer who can’t pronounce ‘th’. Bias,definitely,and again,not to be tolerated.

    Reply

  2. | John (from London)

    Sorry but whenever I hear that guy announcing it just sounds wrong. Firty fousand fevvers on a frushes froat is comical, its not good English and the BBC should sack the guy.

    Reply

  3. | Jenny Clarke

    It really grates. I am a true East Londoner born in Bow and thankfully taught at home and at school how to pronounce words properly. As soon as I hear anyone speak like that, I have to turn off the sound as it is so irritating.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*
*

Support The Voice

The Voice Newspaper is committed to celebrating black excellence, campaigning for positive change and informing the black community on important issues. Your financial contributions are essential to protect the future of the publication as we strive to help raise the profile of the black communities across the UK. Any size donation is welcome and we thank you for your continued support.

Support Sign-up