Cotton: 'I've not benefited from ageism'

Fearne Cotton has said that she was chosen to replace Jo Whiley at Radio 1 on merit, rather than ageism.

The presenter told The Observer that she was not picked because she is 28 to Whiley's 44.

Cotton said: "There's a trend at the moment with the press targeting ageism [but] I don't think Radio 1 fits into that category because we've always had a really big mix of ages across the station.

"It just so happens that I am younger than Jo and I think Radio 1 has a responsibility to be aware of who's listening to their radio station at what times of day and who fits better into what slot."

Of being a young woman in the media, she added: "I'd go into meetings at the Beeb or ITV and people wouldn't take me seriously because I'm blonde, I'm small and I'm 28. You're not taken as seriously as if you were a middle-aged guy walking in there.

"You have to be really tough in this business, you can't be a pushover, you can't be a girly girl, you have to have balls, otherwise I wouldn't be sat here now.

"You get knocked back so many times, you get told so brutally honestly what people think about you, that you have to be a bit of a tough bitch."