BBC Question Time host Fiona Bruce has announced she will be stepping back from her role as an ambassador for the UK's leading charity on domestic violence Refuge.
It comes following claims the BBC journalist trivialised domestic violence during a discussion about former Prime Minister Boris Johnson's dad Stanley on last Thursday’s episode of the BBC political debate show.
According to reports in The Mirror, Fiona, 58, had faced calls to be removed from her position as an ambassador for the domestic abuse charity, after she appeared to play down Stanley Johnson's history of violence against his then-wife Charlotte, who died in 2021.
During Question Time on Thursday, journalist Yasmin Alibhai-Brown described Johnson as a wife beater.
Fiona replied: "Stanley Johnson’s wife spoke to a journalist, Tom Bower, and she said Stanley Johnson had broken her nose and she had ended up in hospital as a result.
"Stanley Johnson has not commented publicly on that. Friends of his have said it did happen, it was a one-off."
In a new statement, Fiona has now insisted she was a “passionate advocate” for survivors of domestic abuse and said she had been subject to a “social media storm” which “mischaracterised” her words.
Fiona said: “I have been a passionate advocate and campaigner for all survivors of domestic abuse, and have used my privileged position as a woman in the public eye to bring this issue to the fore, notably in my work for over 25 years with Refuge.
"But following the events of last week, I have faced a social media storm, much of which mischaracterised what I said and took the form of personal abuse directed at me.
“The only people that matter in all this are the survivors, they are my priority," she continued.
"The last thing in the world that I would want is that this issue in any way creates a distraction from Refuge’s critical work on their behalf, and therefore I think the right thing to do is to step back from my role with Refuge.
“This has been a hard decision for me as I feel so strongly about promoting their work and advancing awareness of this issue. I will continue to be an active supporter, albeit from the sidelines for now.”
In the statement, Fiona said she was stepping back from her role as an ambassador with the domestic abuse charity Refuge “with real sadness”.
She added: “It is with real sadness that I have decided to step back from my role as an ambassador for the domestic abuse charity Refuge.
“Last week on Question Time, I was required to legally contextualise a question about Stanley Johnson. Those words have been taken as an expression of my own opinions which they are absolutely not, and as a minimising of domestic abuse, which I would never do.
“I know survivors of domestic abuse have been distressed by what I was required to say on-air. For that, I am deeply sorry. I cannot change what I was required to say, but I can apologise for the very real impact that I can see it has had.”
Refuge, the charity Bruce was a long-standing ambassador of, issued a statement following her comments last week.
The charity said: “We have spoken to Fiona today, and she is appalled that any of her words have been understood as her minimising domestic violence. We know she is deeply upset that this has been triggering for survivors.”
It added: “Fiona is deeply sorry that last night’s programme has distressed survivors of domestic abuse. Refuge stands by her and all survivors today.
"We continue to be appreciative of all the work Fiona does on behalf of Refuge and recognise the immense contribution she has made to our work to end domestic abuse and challenge violence against women and girls.”
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