By Victoria LindreaBBC News
media captionShoes are made for walking? That’s just not what these do
She has covered general elections, recorded a diary from her hospital bed after cancer treatment, and been showered with bugs in a Welsh castle, but Victoria Derbyshire’s Achilles’ heel turns out to be… high heels.
The BBC News presenter had what she deemed “a slight wardrobe malfunction” on Thursday morning, when she couldn’t get her shoes on in time to present the morning news.
As the 9am bulletin began on the BBC News channel, Victoria was seen in the studio background bending over and muttering “Oh my God!” as she grappled with the 4.5in (11.40cm) black tasselled heels.
Despite being a regular heel wearer, Victoria said later that the offending shoes were bigger than her normal choice of work footwear because her new trousers were “too long… and I haven’t had a chance to turn them up yet”.
She had begun the bulletin seated in front of a desk, with her shoes at the ready for the 20-second “catwalk” which normally takes her to the standing mark from which she announces the main news story.
But this was no Cinderella moment. In fact, momentarily, Victoria must have felt like one of the ugly sisters as she grappled with her heels.
What’s more, she had no idea the audience could both see and hear her.
“I didn’t realise the camera would see me bending over. And it was so quiet – I wasn’t thinking about the microphone.”
Victoria was just trying to get her shoes on.
“I was trying to bend down to put them on, but there was nothing to lean on,” she said, as she recalled her rising panic at not being able to get her feet in the stilettos.
“I managed the first one – but then you have to do the second!”
Meanwhile the camera panned to an empty set.
“When I finally got them on, I stood up so quickly, I felt dizzy,” said Victoria. Not to mention the great height at which she now found herself.
But the challenge was nothing for someone who, mere months ago, was negotiating the corridors of a derelict castle dressed in a giant, fluffy robin suit on I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here.
And seconds later, Victoria was in position and – after a brief apology – the news began, almost seamlessly.
Her social media accounts have since been flooded with sympathetic messages, many praising her professionalism and composure – others who just loved the shoes.
Vernon Kay and TV critic Scott Bryan are among those who commented, while fellow newsreaders shared her pain.
“I’ve had more messages about that than anything else ever,” said Victoria, speaking hours after the shoe trauma.
I can personally testify that the phenomenon (and associated hazards) of female presenters putting on very high heeled “TV shoes” just to ‘walk’ a handful of steps around the studio floor is a real thing. VERY nice shoes, btw, Victoria.
— Samira Ahmed (@SamiraAhmedUK) August 12, 2021
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.View original tweet on Twitter
Did she consider not putting her shoes on, but delivering the news barefoot instead?
“It crossed my mind, but it didn’t feel right,” says the journalist.
Still, it seems like those shoes are now back in the closet, at least as far as work is concerned.
“I’m not going to wear those shoes again,” she says, firmly. Next stop, Ebay?read more
BBC presenter’s on-air shoe struggle…
