Fiona Bruce steps back from charity role after Stanley…

Fiona Bruce steps back from charity role after Stanley Johnson Question Time row

Question Time host Fiona Bruce has stepped back from her role with a domestic abuse charity after facing criticism for comments she made on the BBC show.

The 58-year-old presenter sparked a backlash from viewers for her handling of a discussion about Stanley Johnson in Thursday's episode. Guest Yasmin Alibhai-Brown said that the father of Prime Minister Boris Johnson, 82, was a "wife beater" and that his alleged history of domestic violence was "on record".

Fiona then interrupted to say: "I'm not disputing what you're saying, but just so everyone knows what this is referring to, Stanley Johnson's wife spoke to a journalist, Tom Bower, and she said that Stanley Johnson had broken her nose and that she’d ended up in hospital as a result.

"Stanley Johnson has not commented publicly on that," the presenter added. "Friends of his have said it did happen but it was a one-off."

Fiona has now stepped back as an ambassador of domestic abuse charity Refuge, after her comments led to widespread criticism from viewers and campaign groups. Farah Nazeer, chief executive of Women's Aid, said that the charity was "shocked" by the remarks and described them as "irresponsible and harmful".

The Question Time host told PA news agency that she was "required to legally contextualise" a response about Stanley Johnson, adding that her words were not an expression of her own opinions and that she would never minimise domestic abuse. She added that she did not want the issue to create a "distraction" for Refuge, describing the choice to step back from her role as a "hard decision" as she feels "so strongly" about tackling domestic abuse.

Fiona said: "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. 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."

In a response to the presenter's decision to step back, Refuge said in a statement: "We have today accepted Fiona’s offer to stand down from her role as Ambassador for Refuge. We have thanked her for her considerable contribution over many years to Refuge and the wider domestic abuse agenda."

However, the charity added: "Refuge’s position was, and remains, clear – domestic abuse is never a ‘one off’, it is a pattern of behaviour that can manifest in a number of ways, including but not limited to physical abuse. Domestic abuse is never acceptable.

"Over the weekend we have been listening to, and heard, survivors of domestic abuse who have told us how devastating this has been for them. While we know the words were not Fiona’s own and were words she was legally obliged to read out, this does not lessen their impact and we cannot lose sight of that.

"These words minimised the seriousness of domestic abuse and this has been retraumatising for survivors. Survivors of domestic abuse are, and will always be, Refuge’s priority. Our focus must remain on them."

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