Laura Trevelyan's accent

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: why can't the English teach their children how to speak? Most of your reporters do well, but Laura unfortunatley fails miserably.

This is really incredible: first of all you American don't talk English, you talk American. Don't even dare to say you speak English. English is an elegant tongue and you Americans are all like Texans: ignorant and ridicoulous people.
Second: how can you speak over accent or similar stuff when you all speak like Donald Duck? I'm not English, in case you think my opinion is because of that. I cannot hear your honking. I just jump over the remote because I can't stand all your chewing when you speak!

[Anonymous]

Is she protected by Disability Rules? Women's rights? Relative of an executive? Disney the greatest promoter of ducks?

[Anonymous]

Here I am at my computer having had to turn off BBC News again because of Laura Trevelyan's voice. Why does a preeminent news organization put up with this screeching, grating, nasal voice that overshadows the important stories of the day? I just can't believe it.

[Anonymous]

Totally loathe her accent. Perhaps the BBC can't get rid of her for fear of some sort of discrimination law suit?

[Anonymous]

She sounds like Sybil Fawlty

[Anonymous]

I was surprised to find so much discussion about Trevelyan’s
voice on this site. Her accent is amongst the very worst on tv. Although I live in the US, I am Australian and therefore quite familiar with all British accents. I think the problem
, and it IS a problem, has less to do with her Thames-side accentbut more to do with her actual voice.
Surely she can’t be so arrogant asto ignore her problem? It would be so easy for her
To seekavoice coach and give us all a big break.

[Anonymous]

I love BBC, but find Laura Travellian impossible to listen to. She has such a nasal and unpleasant tone. Please take her off. Jane O'Brian and Katty Kay are so superior.

[Anonymous]

I agree! I can't stand to watch BBC America when she is on. I have to turn it off!
Please replace her with someone with a voice that doesn't grate and can be understood!!

[Anonymous]

I was researching a way to write the BBC to comment on this very matter when I came upon all the comments below, which frankly didn't surprise me. So here's my take as a British ex-pat! Ms Trevalyan has several strikes against her as a presenter of news verbally. One is the rasping timbre of her voice, another is the unfortunate way she reads the sentences off her teleprompter, and yet another is the apparent lack of understanding or empathy for what she is telling her audience. Her "accent" which most of Americans have difficulty with is entirely understandable, but I would suggest it is mainly because she does not seem to know where to put the correct emphasis in any sentence. She does in fact have a fairly non-descript "dialect", if one can call it that, and along with her rather rasping tonality the whole package is very hard on the ear. I am astonished that the venerable BBC puts her alongside such anchors as Jane O'Brien and Katty Kay who I understand Americans are fairly happy with, as am I, since their voices are both empathetic and softer, as well as showing they they really understand what they are reportedly saying.
One thing in favor of Laura. She asks good questions of her guests, but with that awful sounding voice (British or American) the BBC needs to apply her otherwise good reporting skills elsewhere in the field. Besides her voice Laura has other things going for her, and the BBC would be well advised to use them.
A caveat. I have been a voice coach for British and Irish accents and dialects in local theatre, and have read poetry and some of Shakespeare's famous speeches on stage prior to my retirement from business, so learned to become more sensitive to the nuances and timbre of voices in the public arena.
Hope the above observations are helpful to some. Also I think a word to the Beeb would be a good next move by a number of people, if that has not already been done.

[Anonymous]

I am of British origins but I unevivocally endorse the commentary on Trevelyan’s swampland accent. Surely the BBC can get her some help! Even a Geordie would do better.

[Anonymous]

Laura Trevelyan's is an excellent reporter. But the medium she uses is not conducive to reporting in the U.S. - it is verbal media. She has to train her verbal skills to be understood. Her speed of talking/diction to her listening audience is not right. She speaks so fast...words not clearly pronounced. Just an indistinct roll of words. Katy is fine. A few months of "public speaking" classes will bring her to an enhanced level of TV reporting. I have no idea from which county in the U.K. this accent emanates. It is more like the London cockney English which sounds like double Dutch to me. Laura this is not destructive criticism - I am with you, just reduce your speed of words/diction and we will enjoy you.

[Anonymous]

I'm a transplanted Brit living in Seattle, and whenever I watch BBC World News, I hope Laura won't be on.
Her accent is goddawful...too nasal and twangy. Come on Laura, you can do better than this!!

[Anonymous]

Seriously? Her voice is fine, she's smart as a whip, and her professionalism is unmatched. This seems like a vendetta, honestly. I would almost suspect someone of holding a personal grudge against Laura and using this forum as payback. Clearly the same person has anonymously posted over and over again, salting the thread and keeping the conversation alive. Please get over yourself. And what in the world does her personal financial situation have to do with anything?

[Anonymous]

Is there anyone at BBC who can look into this voice that is impossible to listen to and to understand?
Why is she on BBC America? Do they think Americans sound like this? It's not like any British accent I've ever heard either.
Maybe they could get her voice retrained so she doesn't kill our ears.
She needs to stop screaming out those nasal sounds--makes me turn to another every time she comes on!

[Anonymous]

Good to read these comments. I can no longer listen to her broadcast - her voice/accent is awful.

Is it just because she is married to a powerful newsman that she is anchoring the BBC news?