Poldark actress says BBC failed to invite her to premiere of new season because she is middle-aged woman

A Poldark actress has said she was snubbed from the red carpet premiere of the show by the BBC because she is a middle-aged woman.

Beatie Edney, 56, plays Prudie, an influential servant in the Poldark household and is a firm favourite in the show.

However, she has said she will not be attending the screening of Poldark's fifth season, held tonight in Cornwall because she was not invited.

The actress, who is the daughter of Sylvia Syms, tweeted: "Please don’t blame me for not attending the premiere for @PoldarkTV - @BBCOne didn’t invite me.

"Although mainly middle aged women are the audience for the show we struggle to be represented in the media. @MrsNickyClark that will probably get me into lots of stick, but it’s true."

The BBC has advertised that younger stars of the show Eleanor Tomlinson, who plays Demelza Poldark and Jack Farthing, who portrays George Warleggan, will be attending the event.

Ms Edney has long been a member of the Acting Your Age campaign, which aims to put middle-aged actresses in the spotlight.

Writer and actress Nicky Clark, who runs the campaign, told The Telegraph: “The situation with Beatie comes as no surprise to me. That’s why in 2018 I launched my #ActingYourAge campaign.

"We hear a lot about the importance of female representation in our cultural life, this must now extend to challenging our media on their entrenched gendered ageism. The BBC isn’t alone but they’re also seemingly unencumbered by a desire to change their approach.

"Despite the Ofcom review last year which found male talent in middle age still outnumbers female talent by 3-1,  despite my campaign and my efforts to engage with them, the BBC remain unable to meet with me or address the real problem of gendered exclusion.

"I commend Beatie for her bravery in speaking out. I also hope this will enable many other actresses to do the same. It’s known but it’s not addressed. I hope that this will not merely be swept under the BBC carpet once again”.

BBC journalist John Darvell responded on twitter, writing: "WRONG!!! WRONG!!!! WRONG!!!! Good for you for calling it out."

Dozens of fans responded, with one tweeting: "Ageism SUCKS!! You are such a highlight of the show from day one!!"

Another said: "It’s wrong that you aren’t invited. One of the longest reigning characters on the show and one of the most well loved - you deserved to be there".

A BBC spokesperson said: "We'd have loved to have Beatie at our event so we're surprised by this because we were told she couldn't attend."

The actress deleted her tweet later in the day, and later said: "Can I just say to the fans of @PoldarkTV@mammothscreen how much I also love the show and love being in it and the cast and Mammoth family. I am excited for you all to see season 5."

The BBC has come under fire before for its alleged treatment of middle-aged women.

Miriam O'Reilly, the former Countryfile presenter, won an age discrimination claim against the broadcaster in 2011 after she was dropped from the show.

Sharon White, the chief executive of Ofcom said in 2017 that the BBC should adopt a target for older female presenters,  amid fears that they are being driven off screen when they reach the age of 45.