BBC News presenter Karin Giannone has returned to the screen more than a year after she and three female colleagues launched legal action against the corporation when they were controversially pulled off air.
The journalist, 50, is suing the broadcaster at an employment tribunal alongside co-stars Martine Croxall, 55, Kasia Madera, 48, and Annita McVeigh, 55, after they lost their roles in what they claim was a ‘rigged’ recruitment exercise.
The group accuse the BBC of age and sex discrimination over how it handled the recruitment process for chief presenter roles, after they had to re-apply for their jobs on the BBC News channel.
The chief presenter positions were part of a selection process after the corporation combined its domestic and World News operations.
The women said they were pulled off air last year after missing out on the top jobs.
They declined redunancy and claim they were left without job titles, in a move that sidelined them while they were still receiving full pay.
But Ms Giannone, who joined the corporation in 2005, returned to the screen this week – the last of the group to do so – much to the celebration of her co-stars and viewers alike.
Sharing a clip of her friend presenting on X/formerly Twitter, Ms Croxall wrote on Wednesday: ‘Back on air and bossing it’.
BBC presenter Karin Giannone returned to the screen this week after more than a year out
Senior BBC presenter Martine Croxall hailed Ms Giannone’s return to the screen, saying she was ‘bossing it’
Ms Giannone wore a high-necked short-sleeved dress as she presented the mid-morning news coverage.
Her return to work comes after she took time off to recover from major knee surgery.
She revealed in April how she would be off air for months after undergoing a knee osteotomy, which helps to alleviate arthritis.
At the time, she shared a photo of herself from her hospital bed on X, writing: ‘I’m out of action for a couple of months after a knee osteotomy surgery, but very much looking forward to being back on air on @BBCNews when I am up and running again!’.
Karin Giannone shared the snap from her hospital bed and said she would be off air for months after undergoing major knee surgery
Karin shared how she had undergone knee osteotomy, which helps alleviate arthritis
The keen runner has previously shared updates from her races with her online followers
Earlier this month, the keen runner and married mother-of-three shared a photo of herself perched on a crutch while standing in front of broadcasting house, jasa pembuatan pt cv virtual office tangerang in Portland place, central London, alongside the caption: ‘Good to be back’.
Ms Giannone returned to work earlier this month before her reappearance on our screens
Her co-stars and viewers were delighted with her return to work and praised her on social media
Her female co-stars were elated at the news, with Ms Madera writing on X ‘Fabulous to see my friend and colleague back at BBC News.’
Meanwhile, Ms McWeigh added: ‘…so good to see my friend and colleague back!’
(Left to right) Annita McVeigh, Martine Croxall, Karin Giannone and Kasia Madera arriving at the Central London Employment Tribunal in May
In May, the women suffered a partial defeat in their legal case after a judge threw out the equal pay element of their case, in which they complained they had not been paid equally with their male counterparts since February 2020.
But the majority of the claims made by the women will be included in a full three-week tribunal set to kick off next March, during which they are all expected to give evidence.
The BBC maintains the application process was rigorous and fair and it is understood its position is that it complied with equal pay legislation.
The corporation is also thought to be confident that it applied a rigorous and fair recruitment process and that all managers conducted that process properly.