Alex Scott feared losing her BBC job as she reveals punishment for bold LGBT statement
Soccer Aid presenter Alex Scott has opened up about her controversial decision to don a One Love armband during the 2022 Qatar World Cup.
Alex Scott admitted she feared losing her presenting job on BBC after sporting a pro-LGBTQ+ One Love armband during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The former Arsenal captain made the bold decision to support the LGBTQ+ community in a country where it is illegal to be gay.
This also came after England, Wales, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, and Switzerland teams decided to U-turn on their promise to wear the OneLove armbands, for fear of being yellow-carded.
Alex, who is currently in a relationship with singer Jess Glynne and refuses to label her sexuality, revealed that wearing the armband was a spur-of-the-moment idea.
This surprised many, including her BBC bosses, as she proudly wore it just moments before the live coverage of England’s opening match against Iran.
On her decision, Alex shared: “I wasn't a player and I felt so emotional like, this is just wrong. We're saying football is for everyone but actually we were seeing the opposite.”
Qatar is a Muslim country where homosexuality is currently illegal, and punishable with fines and up to seven years in prison for non-muslims.
While Muslims can be faced with the maximum punishment of death under the Sharia Law.
In her interview with The Sunday Times, the sports commentator confessed she was “absolutely” nervous about making the statement, adding: “I didn't know if I was going to lose my job.
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“Because this was against BBC guidelines, or get kicked out of the country, but in the moment I wanted people to know, I'm with you.”
Alex disclosed that the BBC mildly told her off and explained: “They were, like, ‘Make sure you don't do it again.’
However, the 39-year-old stood by her decision and highlighted: “This was about love and light, showing what I stand for.”
As for her relationship with Jess, Alex has kept her lips sealed on when and where they met, but the couple went public with their romance by making their debut appearance at the Brit Awards.
