A spokeswoman for the BBC said: "At BBC Children's we believe that providing strong, age-appropriate role models that children can relate to and look up to is incredibly important – as well as avoiding gender stereotypes and giving kids a wide range of heroes to admire. This applies to our presenters and also the characters portrayed in our dramas. Presenters like Steve Backshall, Naomi Wilkinson, Lindsey Russell and the Friday Download team inspire children all over the UK, encouraging them to see the world differently or to try something new – which is exactly what children's TV presenters should be doing."