BBC News presenter Martine Croxall, 55, sues broadcaster for age and sex discrimination after being off-air for more than a year amid stand-off with bosses because she and five female colleagues missed out on top roles

BBC News presenter Martine Croxall is taking legal action against the broadcaster for age and sex discrimination, after being off air for a year. 

The experienced news presenter, 55, is set to take the corporation to an employment tribunal next month, it has emerged. 

Listings for the proceedings, due to be held at London Central tribunal court from May 1, also reveal the case also centres around equal pay. 

It is set to be one of the most high-profile tribunals faced by the BBC since it lost a gender pay dispute with Newswatch presenter Samira Ahmed.

In 2020, the London hearing found that Ahmed should have been paid the same as fellow presenter Jeremy Vine for their work on Newswatch and Points Of View respectively. But the BBC argued the pair had not done similar work. 

Croxall was one of five female BBC News presenters who were left in limbo last year when the BBC's News and World News channels merged.

Alongside broadcasters Annita McVeigh, Kasia Madera, Geeta Guru-Murthy and Karin Giannone, Croxall was shunned with little work to do. As the presenters were all due to return, they all continued to receive their full pay package. 

The merger, however, left some of Croxall's colleagues, such as Joanna Gosling, David Eades and Tim Wilcox leaving for good. 

They reportedly raised concerns about the way the BBC managed the recruitment process, claiming the corporation has already chosen who it wanted before people had even applied.

But BBC bosses were said to have rejected these claims after an internal review took place.

Ms McVeigh and Ms Guru-Murthy are understood to have both now taken chief presenter roles and have recently appeared on air, following new vacancies at the channel.

Ms Giannone and Ms Madera, like Ms Croxall have not appeared on the news channel in over a year.

It is understood Ms Croxall, who has been at the BBC since 1991, has been discussing her future at the BBC with bosses.

On Christmas Eve all five remaining presenters were pictured together enjoying a drink at a pub. McVeigh posted: 'Season's Greetings to all my followers here, thanks for your support, and to these wonderful women ⁦for their friendship.'

The women had declined voluntary redundancies and for a time were left without job titles. 

The women, who have more than 100 years experience between them, previously threatened legal action against the corporation, claiming they were unfairly selected for redundancy. 

US news agency Deadline claimed the presenters were aggrieved at the 'humiliating' recruitment process which reportedly entailed the qualified presenters taking screen tests in a small studio with a manual autocue - despite the fact many names had years or decades of experience.

'I think they [Eades, Gosling, and Willcox] could not face the prospect of having to go through this ignominious process,' one person with knowledge of the process was previously reported as saying in January. 

A second said: 'People are incandescent. It's humiliating - you feel like you're 21 again and applying for your first job on the BBC.'

Presenters previously alleged the process had been 'rigged' with a list of chief presenters being made before applications opened.  

Yet sources later said the Beeb would 'reverse ferret' bringing them back under new job titles in a bid of avoid potential lawsuits following the merger that saw dozens of cuts. 

An insider at the BBC told The Times the group were 'litigious' and would have the backing of the National Union of Journalists should they go to court. 

'Plus, the BBC is short of presenters so there are no grounds to make them redundant. And they're all capable of doing the role,' the insider said. 'A reverse ferret is definitely the best plan.' 

Guru-Murthy and McVeigh returned to their presenting chairs last month, with the later writing 'so good to be bringing you the news again'. Both were promoted to chief presenting roles. 

In February Croxall confirmed her return in February - a year after she was first axed by the BBC - delighting fans that she would be back soon.

While celebrating her 55th birthday, the presenter was asked if viewers would see her back on their screens soon. 

She responded: 'Yes my birthday is today and I have been thoroughly spoiled. Will be back on air in a few weeks. Take care of yourself.' 

'I will be back,' she added. Just working out the details.'

The case, if it goes ahead, will be a blow to the BBC’s director-general Tim Davie who had said he was looking to find a ‘fair resolution’ to the situation.

The employment tribunal case also risks reigniting the huge controversy over the way the corporation has treated women.

BBC bosses came under huge pressure a few years ago over the way women were paid unequally at the corporation and were victims of discrimination.

As well as Samira Ahmed’s employment tribunal victory, former China editor Carrie Gracie won back pay and an apology from the BBC in 2018 over unequal pay.

The controversy led to the formation of a group of female staff at the corporation, called BBC Women, who took management to task over its record on fair treatment.

Ms Croxall’s case, as listed by the employment tribunal, is also believed to include the claim that she suffered detriment from being the member of a trade union. In the list of areas the case will cover there is also another reference to pay.

It has been suggested that the BBC has paid more than £1 million in salaries, as well as acting up pay and freelance cover costs, during the period these women had been off-air.

During her year out, Croxall appears to have spent much of her time travelling around the world.

Photos show her taking a hot air balloon ride above the Teotihuacán pyramids near Mexico City, while another video showed her swimming with whale sharks and sea lions off the Gulf of California. 

Another showed her skiing in Bulgaria or feeding elephants at the Phuket Elephant Sanctuary in Thailand. 

The upcoming employment tribunal is not the first hurdle Croxall has faced throughout her long-running career at the BBC.

In 2022, she was briefly taken off air after breaking the corporation's impartiality rules.

The blunder happened on October 23 after Boris Johnson ran out of the leadership contest that Rishi Sunak went on to win.

During the Sunday night edition of The Papers, where press members discuss the main stories of the day, she said in the wake of Johnson's departure: 'Well this is all very exciting, isn't it? Am I allowed to be this gleeful? Well I am.' 

Later in the show she also admitted that she was 'probably breaking' some of the BBC's impartiality rules when she laughed at Tony Grew's mocking of Johnson.

The corporation later ruled that Croxall had made 'several remarks and reactions' that caused 'significant risk' that the audience could believe 'opinions were being expressed' on the Conservative leadership race. She returned to air after 11 days off. 

Croxall's legal action comes after World At One presenter Sarah Montague also previously confirmed she had won a £400,000 settlement and an apology from the BBC over unequal treatment.

In 2021 the BBC disclosed it had spent more than £1 million on legal fees fighting equal pay and race discrimination cases brought by staff.

The BBC declined to comment on the matter. MailOnline has contacted Croxall.