Richard Scudamore s PA speaks to Good Morning Britain

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Richard Scudamores PA speaks to Good Morning Britain in first tv interview since leaking sexist emails.

I feel he should resign [and if he doesn't] he should be asked to leave

I believe it was a culture within the Premier League

I think his apology was very feeble, it wasn't genuine

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The personal assistant who exposed sexist emails at the Premier League spoke to Good Morning Britain today about why she blew the whistle on her boss, Richard Scudamore. In her first TV interview, Rani Abraham spoke to Sean Fletcher and Susanna Reid about how she felt discovering the emails and why she feels he should resign.

Speaking about the time she discovered the emails - which she said were sexist, they were very very degrading to women - Rani said: I felt humiliated, belittled and very, very demeaned as a woman The first thing I thought when I read them was, he's [hypothetically] talking about his mother, his sister, his daughter, he's talking about all women, it's just not right. My point is that when you read something like that and you're talking about a female, you're talking about someone else's mother, someone else's sister in that context.

Rani said: I feel he should resign [and if he doesn't resign] I think he should be asked to leave .

On the reason she believes Scudamore shouldn't continue his job, she spoke about his duty to promote gender equality within football: I believe he is promoting women's football, he should be promoting equality between men and women. I don't think there is anything wrong if you're having a joke in the pub with a friend of yours but it's very different from doing that and putting it down on paper on email and especially a work email that someone who is female is going to read I feel that a man in his position has a men's power, he has influence, he should really be promoting equality and respect for women and he should be setting an example.

Responding to the Premier League's statement saying they don't recognise this characterisation at the organisation, Rani said later in the programme: I don't agree with that I believe that was a culture within the Premier League.

And on Scudamore's apology, she said: I think that apology was very feeble, it wasn't genuine If he came out right at the beginning and was genuinely sorry - it's about being genuine - I wouldn't have pushed so hard but to me it's not genuine.

Rani defended the timing of her revealing the emails seven months after losing her job: I was out of a job for that long, I did want to seek legal advice but when I left I was confused, I felt very humiliated, I wasn't thinking straight. I also didn't have any financial backing. To go to a good solicitor costs a lot of money... I have now found work and it's given me the confidence to go and approach a solicitor and talk about what I went through. It's just made me face everything again in my mind and that's the reasoning. It's very genuine.

And speaking about the response she has received since speaking out, she said she hopes support for her will grow: Some people think I shouldn't have been snooping. It's not about snooping, I was doing my job and I came across them because I was looking for some information that I had been requested [to find]. I couldn't ignore it, I had to read through a list of emails to find that information. I wish I hadn't come across it but I had. I have to say, it would be great to have more support, it is very nerve wracking standing up for what's right and I'm hoping I will gain more support over time.

ENDS

Good Morning Britain, ITV, Monday-Friday, 6am - 8.30am. www.itv.com/goodmorningbritain

LINK:	http://www.itv.com/presscentre/press-releases/richard-scudamores-pa-sp...
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