Miriam Walker-Khan
@mimwalkerkhan
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Diversity & Inclusion reporter @skysportsnews 📺 Founder @browngirlsport_
London/the North
Joined June 2010
OLYMPIC CHAMPION ✅ .OLYMPIC RECORD ✅ .FIRST OLYMPIC MEDAL FOR 🇵🇰 IN FOUR DECADES ✅ . ARSHAD NADEEM TAKE A BOW! . #pakistan
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Bend it Like Beckham turns 20 tomorrow and I still can’t believe I’m typing this but I made a documentary on its impact in the world of sport! This film means SO much to me & so many others, so I spoke to some incredible people about how it changed their lives for @BBCSport 📺⚽️
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I really strongly feel that in big 2021 we should not be explaining why the word p**i is racist. Anyone using that word knows exactly what they’re doing and how offensive it is. We’ve got to get past explaining why things are racist, to racists, who only mean to harm and offend.
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There's a lot of ill-informed stuff on the woso timeline that isn't just wrong, but is also harmful to the progress of conversations about race in sport. Specifically our national sport. Here are some helpful acknowledgements and conversations I've had reporting on this.
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It’s been incredibly sad and weird tbh watching in real time over the past few weeks how many journalists have spread misinformation and are genuinely deeplyyyy uneducated on the things they’re saying about Imane Khelif….
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Some fun news… a dream job came up and has lured me out of freelance life for the summer☺️ ya gurl is the new BBC Sport Younger Audiences reporter!. Also I said the word discombobulated in the interview which I’ve always wanted to say naturally in conversation and it was amazing.
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"I have such a massive privilege and I acknowledge that which is part of the reason why I feel like I have such a responsibility to push for more change." . It's that simple.
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I know Emma Hayes is a legend for multiple reasons. But something I think gets forgotten is how she has spoken up for women of colour, unprovoked. That is scarily rare in a post 2020 world where so many people who seemingly pretended to care about it no longer prioritise it.
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In conversation with Alexia Putellas for her first!!! Ever!!! Interview in English!!! ❤️🔥 2 Ballon D’ors and a birthday between us. What’s the Spanish word for when something blows your mind so much you can’t get over it?! 🥹
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GOOD NIGHT TO ALL WHO CELEBRATE SPORT AND THE OLYMPICS AND OLYMPIC RECORDS THANK YOU BYE xx . #Pakistan #Paris2024
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Millions of Muslims are being asked to choose between their sport and their religion. So many people work sooo hard to make sport inclusive for everyone while this madness is still going on… in 2022. Join the conversation - #LetUsPlay
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Yesterday was a big day for British Asians. We NEED more representation and South Asian role models in football and @z10ane making his debut for United is something to be celebrated🇮🇶🇵🇰 . Massive shout out to @RizRrehman for all his work on the PFA’s excellent AIMS programme too!
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Then* vs now**. *at Don Valley, the day after Jess won Olympic gold when I was too gobby & not trusted to talk on camera on Sky News, so my brother did instead 😂 . **my first day in a job where I am very much allowed to talk as DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION REPORTER @SkySportsNews
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I never wanna hear anyone telling me the need for more diverse staff is just a box ticking exercise ever again.
Kobe Bryant and LeBron James don't even look similar. If the BBC hired more black producers and editors, appalling mistakes like this simply would not happen.
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Does anyone know any young (or not) women of colour who want to get into sports journalism and would like a bit of guidance/advice/mentoring/help looking for opportunities? DM me! x.
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Proper lovely to make my @BBCMOTD debut this weekend with such a positive story from the @NUFC Foundation! Thank you to @GaryLineker for saying my name right too 😊
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My friend just sent me this from 2 years ago when I was prepping for an interview on holiday. People still insinuate that I only got that job cos I’m brown & a woman, cos hOw cAn a bRoWn GiRl bE a SpOrTs jOuRnO? .Saw this & decided imposter syndrome is not for me anymore 🙅🏽♀️
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🧵Little bit of newssssss. Tomorrow is my last day at the BBC after nearly 6 years and I'm emotional! It's been a JOURNEY & I have learnt soo so much, from a little intern then trainee all the way up to a reporter. I'm so grateful for all the heroes I've been able to work with.
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Do you know which player inspired Bend it Like Beckham? . Dont worry if you don’t - neither did @GaryLineker and he was in it! . HAPPY 20th ANNIVERSARY BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM! ✨
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There is not a single non-white player in this squad of 20. For context, in November, 13 out of 29 members of England men's squad were people of colour.
Back together! 💪. Hege Riise has named a 20-player squad for our upcoming February international camp.
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Really disappointing that moments like this are still so common. Thank you @coachiqra for speaking out about this and letting us tell your story. Full piece here
"I just felt so isolated and cornered". Muslim footballer Iqra Ismail was not allowed to play in a match at the weekend because she refused to compromise her religious beliefs and wear shorts.
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This is Florence and today was her FIRST football game ever 🥹🥹🥹 . As we were leaving she said “my friend supports Man United so on Monday at school I’m going to ask her if she enjoyed the game” hahahah
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Whiteness of England Women squad is stopping too many girls from dreaming | Anita Asante
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Why is my brother like this. Let a sis report in peace 😅
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Really excited to be making my #FootballFocus debut with a piece on an important issue today - we dig deeper into the lack of diversity in women’s football with some powerful accounts. Thanks to my amazing producer @sxmbal✨. BBC One just after 12:30 📺 #IWD2021
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Excited to have officially joined the FA’s National Asian Women’s Football Advisory Group today. Can’t wait to get started on some projects with an incredible group of women who are working hard to make football as accessible as possible for Asian girls and women!.
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18 months after I first found out I was going to Tokyo with an almost career-ending panini inbetween and it’s finally happening🥺🇯🇵.So grateful for such a huge opportunity & can’t wait to be producing for BBC Sport News for the next few weeks📺
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This is soooo mad 🤯An absolute honour to have been shortlisted for an @SportSJA award! When the pandemic hit I didn’t think I’d ever get work again so it really means a lot 🥲.Congrats to everyone else shortlisted! 🎉
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Got sunburnt. Made a doc. Popped champagne. Thank you all for your very lovely messages, it means a lot 💛 #BendItLikeBeckham
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The sports journalism industry is a grim place for marginalised communities at the best of times, but the past couple of days in particular have been horrific. This isn’t a debate… It’s misinformation. It’s bullying. It’s racist. And people’s silence makes them complicit.
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🚨🎥 WATCH: Aitana Bonmatí was furious over refereeing decisions after the match.
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The racism I saw living in France on my year abroad was a WHOLE new level so I’m rarely shocked by Charlie Hebdo anymore. But to make light of George Floyd’s murder like this is absolutely disgusting and can’t be ignored. I feel sick.
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I just answered the door to a man who said “can I talk to your parents please?”. I said fam I am 26 years old.
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First week in Paris done. An absolute dream on a scale that I can’t really comprehend still. And the best thing is there’s still TWO WEEKS LEFT 🥹 . #Parigi2024
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Sorry is this real life???? A-levels are hard enough to deal with when you’re 18, BUT THIS????? I can’t wait for us to be talking about Emma Raducanu and this moment forever
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My boyfriend has discovered what a vox pop is and keeps calling me it??? Somehow even worse than when he discovered the word OOV.
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Fearless, young content creators like this are like little flickers of hope in a world where the future - be it online/ on social media or IRL - looks increasingly bleak. There’s more intelligence and nuance in this than I’ve seen from some journalists/creators in years.
You’re going to see a lot of woso content creators on tiktok complain about a stadium change and stay silent on issues like this whereas grace is the only one who had the guts to speak on this.
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Think I can safely say this was the first shoot I’ve ever done where the interviewee, camerawoman and reporter were ALL British Pakistan Yorkshirewomen. JOYOUS!. Coming soon☺️⚽️.#PakistanZindabad
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Bit of personal news - after a fab two years @BBCSport I’m going freelance and moving to London and I’m very, very excited 🥳.
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A BRONZE 100M MEDAL FOR THE FASTEST SOUTH ASIAN IN HISTORY, YUPUN ABEYKOON! Incredible scenes. 🇱🇰🇱🇰🇱🇰. Still celebrating South Asian history month y’allllllll #SriLanka
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Leah Williamson: 'We don't want anyone feeling it's not their game'. Over the past few weeks I’ve been speaking to people about the lack of diversity in women’s football. Grateful to have had some honest and refreshing conversations ⬇️
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I’m bored of this & all the other angry men in my DMs now🥴.If someone needs to spell out why trying to give advice to fellow WoC (on getting into an industry where there’s so few of us) is not racist, then you’ve got some catching up to do.
Racial discrimination from an employee of @BBC.
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Just because it’s not a men’s competition doesn’t mean next year is a “clear summer”. The women’s Euros is next summer… In England….
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Somehow got nominated for Young Journalist of the Year at the Asian Media Awards. Here is my mum who sends me random texts about Lewis Hamilton almost weekly and runs into my room at 6am telling me about results from the Ashes. Shukria.
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I woke up to some horrific messages yesterday after writing this and was completely dreading the day, especially knowing it hadn't even been posted on social media at that point. So thank you to everyone who shared it. It means a lot. The fight continues.
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Ironically, there’s a lot of misinformation here for a thread/report which is claiming to stand for fairness.
Crazy discussion in the House of Lords around women’s sport. @Baronessjenkin highlighted a UN study published in August calculated: "By March this year over 600 female athletes in more than 400 events were defeated by trans-identifying males who took a total of 890 medals.".
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I’ve been working on a new series about heritage, nationality and identity for @skysports which is out today, with a new interview dropping every day for the next week . First up is the legendary Moeen Ali.
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3 years since my first day at the Beeb as a little R1 intern 🥳 (when I made the dreadful mistake of introducing myself as Miriam which no one EVER calls me outside this place) (pls call me Mim I often forget my name is Miriam)
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It’s been a real honour to do these interviews & tell these stories. I stopped going to football matches when I was super young because of the abuse I saw my Dad (a player & scout) receive. It’s unfair and really sad that it ruins football for so many. More on the News @ 1.
Racism in football: Our stories. Ten people share their experiences of racism across all levels of football. WARNING: this video contains description of racist language.
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I AM SO SO SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS!!!! 😆 Genuinely honoured to be a part of the brand new @QuestionofSport podcast team for @bbc5live ! . First episode, The One and Only, up now on @BBCSounds . If you want to lose every sport round in every quiz ever then don’t subscribe 😏
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Anyway yallaaaaaa habibi you are doing so great, the greatest tbh!!! 🥇 🇩🇿
It’s been incredibly sad and weird tbh watching in real time over the past few weeks how many journalists have spread misinformation and are genuinely deeplyyyy uneducated on the things they’re saying about Imane Khelif….
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Excuse me but look at my friend killing it in his first presenter shift at BBC Sport news @isaac_fanin .And the TIE! 🔥
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The cruelty of this is so, so deeply unnecessary. Lucy Clarke is and always will be a legend of the game. We should be grateful for her courage. Especially in football. It’s sad to see a person who built a career on a story of love triumphing against hate stoop so low.
When I was young all the football managers were straight, white, middle-aged blokes, so it's fantastic to see how much things have changed.
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Woiii this is a bit mad. CEO, CEO, Director, Director… then “freelance sports journalist” 🤣.An absolute honour to be nominated for such a cool award!!!.
Shortlist announcement: Northern Power Women Awards 2022, sponsored by @EY_UKI . Disruptor for Good Award Category . Congratulations to all who have made the shortlist! . #NPWAwards2022 #WeArePower
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🖊new signing alertttt🖊 .I am VERY excited to say I’ve joined the @season_zine team 🥰⚽️ .I’ve been a massive SEASON fan for ages now and I can’t wait to get started on some exciting projects with a brilliant team. Thanks to the legend that is @FeliciaPennant 💕
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7. Zidane Iqbal, making history and blazing a trailllll for Asian people everywhere
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Proper delighted to be nominated for this award amongst some absolute big boi sports journalists!!! 😄🥺
Sports Journalist of the Year 2021 Finalists:.@VaiBhardwaj - Reporter & Presenter,.@SachinNakrani - Writer & Editor @guardian_sport,.@1AaronPaul -Reporter, Commentator & Presenter @bbc5live,.@KalSajad - Broadcast Journalist @BBCSport,.@mimwalkerkhan - Freelance Sports Journalist
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I’ve been working on something for a while now - please have a read if you want to learn about #BlackLivesMatter and the part sport has played. And ❗️ follow WorkByMischief on insta who did these incredible illustrations.
From Trayvon Martin to Colin Kaepernick. From protests to acts of defiance. This is the story of sport in the Black Lives Matter movement.
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Growing up in the North I spent my entire childhood and teenage years arguing with white people who told me they COULD use the word and it wasn’t offensive. I refuse to take that energy into my fucking adult years. State of it.
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The most terrifying thing about being on chemotherapy to 12-year-old me was always the hair thing. Thankfully my hair is mad stubborn and not much came out, but I hope now it can go to a little girl somewhere to make their situation a little less scary @LPTrustUK 👑💘
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Football’s Hidden Talent, a documentary we’ve been working on for over a year, is out tonight on Sky Sports Football at 6pm &YouTube . It’s a huge honour to be able to present this & to do this as my job. Really hope it can help move the conversation forward because we need to!
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@matthewjh I did something very similar and got one for my 12th birthday. 17 years on Donald is still going strong having survived university halls, house parties, living with a dog and my rabbit-breeding era 🤣. Best thing you’ll ever do!
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Exclusive: 'I wanted to be white and English' - the story of Robert Rosario: the Premier League's first South Asian player. A year ago @dan_kilvington told me something about Robert Rosario and then said “good luck finding him.” . Here’s the interview 📺.
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I think Asian women are often completely forgotten in some of these conversations - it was an honour to speak to our first Asian Lioness, Aman Dosanj
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My first ever #BBCSPOTY after watching it every year for as long as I can remember. Wholesome 🥰
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I was lucky enough to commission & produce an entire show on disability for @BBCAfrica Sport. This was one of the stories that featured & will hopefully change the way people view African disability sport (+ a brill 📺package from @isaac_fanin).Other stories on🏃🏿♀️🇰🇪⚽️🇳🇬🏃🏿♂️🇨🇮🏍🇰🇪.
"My first reaction was, 'Ok, I'm lucky to be alive.'". An accident at 14-years-old led @AbdiJama10 to wheelchair basketball - and a successful career as a @Paralympics champion. #BBCSportAfrica
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My mayor and general life hero rocking up to a council meeting in this t-shirt. Like 2 Chainz came from Sheffield but he only needs one @MagicMagid
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It’s two years since my mum and brother told me I couldn’t make a TV package on an iPhone so I used them to prove I could 😂
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EXCUSE ME?!.
🥈⚽️ The Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Award - Individual Silver Award goes to. Brown Girl Sport @BrownGirlSport_ 👏
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My science teacher told me I’d never get into uni so I only passed GCSE science because of @bbcbitesize and HERE WE ARE two degrees later - thanks champs.
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I complain so much about London tap water that my Mum has come to visit bringing bottles full of Sheffield tap water. A hero.
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I’ll never not regret telling random men who ask what I do for a living the truth. “Do you even like sport?”.“How do you know about it?” .“Did you know about sport before doing that job?”.“Did someone have to explain football to you?” . 🤢probs easier being an alien than a woman.
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My mum went to uni while single handedly raising 3 toddlers without help and then became a teacher. I never knew anyone who worked in the media until I started working in it, so… no, not all of us. 🙄🥴.
BBC staffed by people ��whose mum and dad worked there’, says Nadine Dorries
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My mate found some old footage of me long jumping in Barnsley and it’s hilarious. No height, just vibes and savagery from my mum- “no it’s not very far.” 😂
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Crazy to be part of this list. I have .SO much respect for VERSUS and what they do and am really grateful that they genuinely care about @BrownGirlSport_ . Thank you to VERSUS but also everyone who has supported BGS so far cos there are SOOOOO many people who have.
VERSUS 50: Miriam Walker-Khan. The founder of Brown Girl Sport is on a mission to increase the meaningful representation of South Asian women in football. She makes our list celebrating football, culture, and society with Chivas Regal. Read her story:
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Feeling totally honoured to have written the sport essay for this series for the @nytimes !!!. A massive thanks to my editor @CharlieBCuff for all her help. Charlie was my first editor when I was a student a student and wrote my first feature @galdemzine so this feels special!.
Who Gets to be British in 2022? Today we're exploring British-Pakistani identity on site!. With a beaut intro from @ainajkhan, and pieces on class, education and sports from @mimwalkerkhan, @mohsinzaidi_ldn & @itsmetawseef + reporting from @sananoorhaq
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Aaaaah my little Bend it Like Beckham doc got nominated for Best Programme at the @asianmediaaward 🥹🥹🥹 what a dream!!!.
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YOUNG PEOPLE, I NEED YOUR HELP! .📣📣📣 I'm looking for people ALL over the UK to be part of @BBCNews podcast #TheNextEpisode on the election. You just need to send a quick voice note next week. Doesn't matter who you're voting for, or how much you know about politics. DMs open😊.
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I was so lucky to be reporting in Paris alongside my colleague Geraint Hughes who not only knows boxing, the IOC & the Olympics inside out, but crucially has also educated himself so well on DSDs which a lot of people clearly have 0 knowledge of? .
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Would love to see the energy for the outrage towards the WSL Barbie memes exist for the actual issues of the game cos it’s strongggg.
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It’s my birthday which means I’ve had Donald 15 YEARS TODAY. I know torts are generally durable but this g has survived teenage house parties, university halls, Fallowfield house parties, a year of rabbit-breeding, 19 house-moves and lots of drunk-dancing. A champ.
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On a night where the Twitter Covid police are out in full force, it might be good to remember that you never know what people are going through. Especially this year.
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Something very cool happens if you search Allyson Felix’s name on Google today - as she prepares to race in her 10th (!!) and final World Championship . (Plus a Camry cameo) . #AllysonFelix #Eugene2022
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My stepdad, who has lived in Gambia all his life, just experienced Eastenders for the first time via THAT episode. When it finished he said “wow, I must complete this whole series” 💀.
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I got to put the INCREDIBLE Khadijah Mellah all over the BBC today. Couldn’t have asked for anything cooler than a young Muslim girl smashing stereotypes for my @BBCBreakfast debut. Also the sign language man looks like he’s throwing up gang signs and I’m here for it my G.
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“After the game against Japan, she complained that she had made additional comments relating to diversity in our interview that had not been included. This is simply untrue – a fact accepted by everyone who has heard the recording.” . Interesting read about what happened last wk.
After my interview last week with Beth Mead, Ian Wright and Eni Aluko rightly said a lack of diversity is “a systemic problem". They made this crucial point so clearly. Here's what happened after I asked a question about diversity in England's women's team.
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