Alexis Green, the face of the weather for millions, has been a familiar and kind companion to people in the south of England for decades.
As the principal weather presenter for BBC South Today, Ms. Green received a barrage of sexual messages, images, and videos that had a significant influence on her life.
It began with a message sent to her personal Facebook account by an unknown man following her shift at work.
Ms. Green was unable to sleep and had to take time off work after receiving the Facebook messenger texts.
Alexis outlines the impact such harassment can have on a person during an interview with Sally Nugent on BBC Breakfast and how she hopes speaking out would encourage others to seek aid if they are experiencing a similar situation.
The harassment began in November 2022
“I received a few improper texts from this individual, such as ‘You are warming up my house tonight,'” she says.
Ms. Green blocked the sender, but a month later he formed a new Facebook profile and began texting her once or twice every day.
“Physically ailing”
This time, however, in addition to sending her texts, he also began sending her explicit movies depicting his own sexual urges.
The harassment preyed on her mind while she was at work, causing her to feel “physically ill” as she contemplated the fact that the man sending her these messages was watching her on the program.
“My knees were trembling, my hands were trembling, and I was struggling to maintain composure in the air,” she adds.
Clearly, you have a responsibility to present something to the public.
I felt I had a task to do, but I was also really frightened and terrified.
Ms. Green went to the police after showing her partner one of the video messages. Within twenty-four hours, police had made an arrest.
During the course of two or three months, Alexis received around thirty films and one hundred and twenty messages.
The discomfort had a significant impact on her personal life outside of the studio.
She says,
“I am an avid runner, so I would pound the streets alone, but I found myself looking over my shoulder, terrified to see if he was hiding in the bushes.”
“It reached a point where I would go to bed at night but not sleep at all.
“When the dog barked downstairs, I would immediately open the curtains, assuming that someone or he was outside.”
On 15 March, a 55-year-old man who admitted to harassing Ms. Green was sentenced to 17 weeks in prison and issued a restraining order.
“I had to share a courtroom with him,” she explains.
“The court proceeding was obviously horrifying for me… I shook as I sat there on the dock.
“That was extremely, extremely difficult, but I achieved success in the end.”
While being able to move forward now that the legal procedure has concluded, Ms. Green recognizes that the effects of her harassment will persist.
“It has made me fearful, I am hesitant to do certain things – I no longer run alone, I take my dog,” she says.
“I believe that protection is in place, but it won’t help me; it won’t improve my own feelings or my anxiety; I’ll always carry it with me.”
The phrase ‘voice of the people’
Ms. Green hopes that her ordeal will serve as an example of how to respond to harassment of a similar nature for anyone else experiencing it.
“I felt that by being on television, I was the voice of those who are experiencing the exact same thing,” she explains.
“I wonder whether there is an element of tolerance – a certain amount of online abuse that occurs frequently to women.
“Maybe we should just accept it, but perhaps we shouldn’t.
“I believe I can concentrate on the future; I just need to take one day at a time. Hopefully, things will improve with time.”
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