Laura Trevelyan's accent

[Anonymous]

Laura Trevelyan is a lovely and obviously bright woman. Like many in the US, I really love British accents. Her on air speech should be addressed by Laura and/or BBC America. The nasal, rasping quacking sound is painful to the ear. I can usually understand what she is saying, but not always; and in her job, that should not be the case.

[Anonymous]

I've never heard such an awful voice on the TV. It doesn't sound like any British accent I've ever heard! She has such an awful nasal twang and it is so much worse when she yells out the words--which she often does--please take her off the air!!

[Anonymous]

Laura Trevelyan's accent is an atrocious nasal assault on most ears. Diction lessons are very necessary, and if they are not available from the BBC, she should be relieved of her job. The content of her delivery isn't an issue--if one can bear the sound-- but her voice has no place on a public broadcast of any merit. I am very close to cancelling my subscription to BBC America, and any other network that carries her news reports. Bloody awful.

[Anonymous]

I have to say, it is strange to me that some people are confused about this lady's (or any person with a proper English) accent. Perhaps it is the fact that so many Americans never hear our mother tongue without slang, or other factors. I understand her, and the other BBC presenters, and I live in one of most dysfunctional English speaking regions in America. Texas. Of course, it may be the fact that I have lived all over the world, and have heard a jumble of accents that effect the English they speak. Then again it might just be that most of us never hear proper English often enough. That is the real pity.

[Anonymous]

I appreciate that we all have different accents. But this has nothing to do with an accent; it hones in on Laura's high pitched voice that is so very strident on the ears. I cannot 'listen' to her, I only hear' her, and not in a good way. This is about her nasal and excessive emphasis on syllables in her high pitched voice over and over again. My spouse is British, I lived in the UK and all over the world for many years. Again, not this is not about her accent.

[Anonymous]

I think she decides or someone decides for her when she does the cockney accent vs the slightly more formal working class English. Is she a twin? No. The accent is chosen. I think.

[Anonymous]

It’s not her accent. It’s her extremely irritating nasal speech mannerism. She must be married to the boss.

[Anonymous]

I'm watching the BBC World News and yet again find myself turning down the volume because of Trevelyan's voice. The word "powerful" came out as "paaerful." I wrote to the BBC but got no reply. She must be somebody's favourite sister. Is nobody at the BBC reading these comments?

[Anonymous]

I think her voice is terrible, Why is she on the air? She should take speech lessons. She sounds like a bird.

[Anonymous]

Her voice lapses into a nasal cackle, reminding me of a witch.

[Anonymous]

It's whom one is connected to that dictates who is on screen, versus being the best person for this globally important platform. We as "listeners" end up paying the price.

[Anonymous]

I am so happy to read that other Americans find her accent awful. I leave the room when my husband watches her.

[Anonymous]

Oh my, I thought it was just me but her accent is just not what I want to hear from BBC World. Please, get her off the air. I wait all day to hear how the UK will present the news and find that I am getting annoyed by the presenter. Her nasal sound is totally upsetting.

[Anonymous]

She's OK. What I can't stand is NPR. It's so snooty. It's, like, "Pardon me, do you have any Grey Poupon?"

[Anonymous]

OK I finally listened to her to see what you are all talking about. I'm British so at first I thought this was just people not liking British accents. It's hard to put my finger on what is wrong with her voice but I do get it. It's not exactly her accent, which is sort of standard "Estuary" English, but something about the way she says certain words, the pitch and the intonation. It doesn't make me want to hurl anything at the TV and I don't know that I would have found it that bad if I hadn't listened specifically, but I can see that it is annoying.