Fiona Bruce has stepped back as an ambassador of domestic abuse charity Refuge following claims she had trivialised domestic violence during a discussion about Stanley Johnson on Question Time.
The presenter of the BBC politics show faced a social media backlash after intervening when the 82-year-old father of former prime minister Boris Johnson was talked about on Thursday night.
In a statement, Bruce said that she was ‘required to legally contextualise’ a response about Mr Johnson and the words are not an expression of her own opinions and she would never minimise domestic abuse.
The 58-year-old former newsreader added: ‘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.
Fiona Bruce said in a statement: ‘It is with real sadness that I have decided to step back from my role as an ambassador for the domestic abuse charity Refuge’
Boris and Stanley Johnson on the Tube. The former PM reportedly wants to include his father on his resignation honours list
‘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.’
Last week on Question Time, Yasmin Alibhai-Brown said Mr Johnson’s alleged history of violence was ‘on record’ and he was a ‘wife beater’.
Ms Bruce interrupted, telling journalist and panel member Ms Alibhai-Brown and the audience: ‘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. Friends of his have said it did happen but it was a one-off.’
Ms Bruce also said she did not want the issue to create a ‘distraction’ for Refuge and it has been a ‘hard decision’ to pause her work with the charity as she feels ‘so strongly’ about tackling domestic abuse.
Stanley Johnson’s violence towards Boris’ mother Charlotte was revealed in a biography of his son Boris by the renowned investigative author Tom Bower
The Antiques Roadshow presenter added: ‘I will continue to be an active supporter, albeit from the sidelines for now.’
In a statement on Friday, the BBC said: ‘Domestic abuse is abhorrent, and we would never wish to suggest otherwise.
‘When serious allegations are made on air against people or organisations, it is the job of BBC presenters to ensure that the context of those allegations – and any right of reply from the person or organisation – is given to the audience, and this is what Fiona Bruce was doing last night.
‘She was not expressing any personal opinion about the situation.’
Refuge thanked Ms Bruce for her ‘considerable contribution’ to their work over the years but acknowledged that while the words the BBC presenter had used around claims about Stanley Johnson were not her own they had ‘minimised the seriousness of domestic abuse’.
In a statement today, the charity said: ‘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.’
Father Stanley and mother Charlotte. Boris, centre, is pictured with his brother and sisters in the seventies. Mr Bower describes Stanley’s first marriage, to Mr Johnson’s mother Charlotte, as violent and unhappy, quoting her as saying: ‘He broke my nose. He made me feel like I deserved it’
Stanley Johnson’s violence towards his wife Charlotte was revealed in a biography of his son Boris by the renowned investigative author Tom Bower.
Mr Bower describes Stanley’s first marriage as violent and unhappy, quoting her as saying: ‘He broke my nose. He made me feel like I deserved it.’
Charlotte told the author: ‘I want the truth to be told.’
It follows a major controversy over reports Boris has nominated his father for a knighthood in his resignation honours list.
The former PM’s office has not denied the claims, which provoked a wry comment from Rishi Sunak on Friday.
When asked if honours should go to family members and if he would ever nominate a relative, the Prime Minister joked that the best his own dad gets is a card on Father’s Day.
Speaking to reporters on a Eurostar train on his way to the Anglo-French summit in Paris, Mr Sunak said: ‘For me, a big success is remembering to get my dad a card on Father’s Day, so that is probably about my limit… if I am doing a card, I’m doing well.’
He added: ‘There is always comment and speculation about honours lists beforehand.
‘I’m not going to comment on speculation. I don’t see these things until I see them so it is hard for me to say any more than that.’
Asked whether he agreed in principle with nominating relatives for honours, he added: ‘My dad’s going to get a card on Father’s Day and that is about that.’
It came after immigration minister Robert Jenrick said prime ministers should ‘absolutely not’ hand honours to family members.
He told the BBC’s Question Time programme: ‘As a principle, is it wise for a prime minister to nominate a member of their own family for an honour? No, absolutely not.
Mr Johnson Snr would join his other son Jo, a former Tory minister now in the House of Lords, in being honoured by the former prime minister.
Labour has criticised the decision, accusing the ex-premier of ‘cronyism’.
In 2021, Stanley was accused of inappropriately touching Conservative MP Caroline Nokes and political journalist Ailbhe Rea.
Ms Nokes, 50, said he smacked her ‘on the backside as hard as he could’ and said ‘you’ve got a lovely seat’ at the 2003 Conservative Party conference.
Ms Rea claimed he ‘groped me’ at the 2019 Tory conference when she was 24. At the time Stanley told Sky News: ‘I have no recollection of Caroline Nokes – but there you go.’
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