Veteran weather woman Sian William's ITV departure sparks ageism speculation
The UK’s longest-ever serving female weather forecaster, Sian Williams of ITV, has quietly left her post sparking rumours the broadcaster may have been looking for a younger replacement.
Williams' agent didn't respond to whether she left ITV due to ageism
Sian Lloyd, 56, who was on ITV’s weather service for quarter of a century since it was created in 1990, in February wrote in a blog: “I would have thought senior and experienced presenters would be just what a broadcaster would want, not kids fresh out of school.
"There is no doubt that ageism is prevalent in TV, way more so than in society at large."
However, Seamus Lyte, Lloyd’s agent, said: "Sian has been busy filming for a number of shows on ITV, BBC and S4C and doing a number of corporate and charity related events so that has been keeping her very busy. S4C and BBCScotland are also working with Sian."
He added: "Sian has been a long-standing Met Office presenter, and is now moving on from presenting the weather on ITV, after more than 20 years to pursue these opportunities."
Lyte however never commented on whether age was the reason Lloyd departed.
An ITV spokesman denied allegations of ageism at the broadcaster: “As both ITV and Sian have stated, she has moved on to pursue new opportunities.
"To claim that her departure has anything to do with her age is complete nonsense."
Among her current projects, Sian Lloyd is today filming a documentary for the BBC.
Greetings from the old copper mine on Parys Mountain in Anglesey. Utterly fascinating place. Filming for BBC doc #joy pic.twitter.com/nP9qiw9Wji
— Sian Lloyd (@SianWeather) August 9, 2014
Last year, ITV’s commercial chief Fru Hazlitt says society is less ageist than it appears, with woman fully capable of becoming entrepreneurs.