IT expert tried to sue BBC after claiming he was turned down job for not being 'geeky' enough

An IT expert tried to sue the BBC after claiming the organisation turned him down for a job - because he was not ‘geeky’ enough.

James Orior, 36, suggested managers at the BBC had viewed him more of a ‘'nerd’ than a ‘geek’ when he applied to join a digital design trainee scheme. He sued for direct and indirect discrimination under the Equality Act 2010, arguing feedback proved the BBC selection process was ''unfair''.

The bizarre legal wrangle began after Mr Orior applied for a job at the corporation as a UX design trainee. The BBC wanted four recruits to design digital experiences and of the 1,340 people who applied, 26 candidates were shortlisted for interview and were required to provide portfolios containing details of their design ideas.

READ MORE: Six weeks until new Clean Air Zone plan - what happens next and what it means for you

Mr Orior learnt he had not been shortlisted for the job in August 2020 and requested feedback from hiring managers. In response the BBC emailed him saying he needed: ''More attention to the craft and detail of your design work - thinking about the typography, brand, interaction design and the layout of your designs.”

It also said he required: ''Further and more in-depth thinking about solving user-centred problems in new ways by trying out new and emerging techniques and technologies.'' He was further advised to provide more than two projects to showcase a more diverse range of work and how to tackle different sorts of problems.

Later Mr Orior filed legal papers saying the BBC had ''made up'' up its feedback and said he was treated ''less favourably'' as he was in the 30-35 age group. He claimed the BBC ''required candidates to be geeky” and produced a news article in an attempt to