'I'm a BBC footy presenter – men DM me daily explicit messages that would terrify women'

BBC presenter Emma Jones has opened up about the swathes of explicit messages she receives from trolls on a daily basis and how she is using her platform to tackle the issue head on

Posted Sunday, March 10, 2024 by Dailystar.co.uk

Emma Jones has opened up about the explicit messages she is swarmed by on social media

Football presenter Emma Jones has opened up about the explicit messages she receives from men on a daily basis.

Jones' successful career presenting shows like MOTDx and BBC Football Focus has earned her 400,000 followers on Instagram. But Emma's fame and online presence has also brought its share of negatives.

That has come in the form of sexist remarks and misogynistic messages online, which she has tackled by making popular 'DM hotline' videos. In the clips, she uses humour to draw attention to the inappropriate messages she gets by fans and trolls alike.

She told OK!: "I used to occasionally screenshot some of the explicit messages that I received and put them on an Instagram story and the reaction showed me that there was a place to talk about this.

"I knew that people needed to hear about this because people's replies were more often than not 'I didn't realise that this was happening."

By using comedy to expose the creepy DMs, Emma hopes to spark conversations and find solutions to the widespread issue. "I'm taking back control and it also raises awareness of what I think is a very real problem that a lot of people endure every day online," she explained.

Emma Jones has become known for her 'DM hotline' Instagram videos

Emma Jones is often bombarded by fans with sexual messages

"If there's a feeling that you're going to be disciplined in your actions, then a certain kind of person might think not to do it. If you can do something and get away with it, you might be more inclined to behave in a different manner to how you'd act on the street."

Emma has received plenty of positive responses for what she is doing. She not only hopes to help other women stand up for themselves, but also hopes to show them they are not alone in facing such experiences.

"I was bowling the other day and a woman came up to me and one of the first things she said was that she loved my DM helpline videos," Emma explained. "She said that she and her friends get together on a weekend and go through their messages and laugh at them in a way that's taking back control. Those kinds of interactions are exactly what I want."

And for women who do not feel comfortable enough to shout or laugh about X-rated messages, Emma wants to give them a bit of comfort in knowing it is not their fault.

"I think if you are a woman and you are receiving those kinds of messages and you don't feel that you have the confidence to air how you feel about it, hopefully seeing women talk about it will bring some relief that they're not alone," she said. "When I do my videos, it's not just for me. I'm doing this on behalf of women."