It seems we have turned a corner.

BBC bosses have backed a television presenter who corrected the phrase “pregnant people” to “women” while broadcasting live, in what has been welcomed as a rejection of gender-neutral language.

Martine Croxall, 56, was citing a study about protecting vulnerable people in hot weather and, after reading out the report’s phrasing, immediately rolled her eyes and changed the wording to “women”.

“Malcolm Mistry, who was involved in the research, says that the aged, pregnant people … women … and those with pre-existing health conditions need to take precautions,” she said.

I gotta say, it was a very minimal eye roll. It was such a minimal eye roll that it’s hard to distinguish from the ordinary movement eyes do as they read aloud. It was definitely not a showy teenagery “god you’re dumb” eyeroll. Blink and you’ve missed it.

BBC bosses are also understood to have been “intensely relaxed” about the wording amid concerns from some staff that Croxall may have faced disciplinary action.

Well there’s a shift. That’s way bigger than a barely detectable eye roll.

Following Sunday’s broadcast, bosses are understood to have checked in with Croxall in a supportive way. “It’s a real cultural moment,” said one fellow BBC presenter, who said that there is a groundswell of support internally for using “honest language”.

Well hoooooray for that! Too bad it’s taken them a decade, but oh well.

The shift is said to have been underpinned by the Supreme Court ruling in April, which found that the legal definition of a woman is based on biological sex.

Roll on, eyes.