The former Strictly contestant spoke out about dual standards for male and female TV hosts as she backed a campaign to address gender inequality in the workplace.
It highlights, in particular, the impact office dress codes can have on employees’ wellbeing.
Rani said female TV hosts tended to “dress in fear of criticism” for wearing something inappropriate and were accused of looking “tired, sick or hung-over” if in casual dress.
“Female TV presenters,” she said, “always feel under pressure to dress or think about clothes in ways our male colleagues don’t have to.
“I’m always conscious of making a mistake or wearing something that could be considered inappropriate because I know that’s what everyone has their eyes on. Men don’t have that pressure.”
The 40-year-old, who grew up in Bradford, had her own show on Sunrise Radio, aged 14.
After university she became a BBC researcher then appeared on top TV shows, such as Watchdog, The One Show and This Morning before Countryfile. She told the campaign, headed by recruitment site totaljobs, she had even been targeted by online trolls.
“I receive lots of unhelpful comments on social media every time I wear something considered inappropriate by some. I can’t even wear a pair of shorts on Countryfile without it motivating some sort of hysterical debate.
“It’s very annoying because I know my male colleagues can happily wear shorts without becoming the centre of attention or being judged in one way or another.”
But she said she did not take the comments too seriously as she believed viewers were more interested in what she had to say than what she was wearing.
Rani said women wanting promoting still felt pressured to dress in a certain way: “Unfortunately sometimes women do feel the need to dress a particular way in order to climb the ranks.
“It’s a very old fashioned idea and we need to ditch it and leave it in the past.”
The problem, she said, comes from a generational gap between older men and younger women – not unlike the TV series Mad Men, set in advertising in the 1960s.
“In some working environments we still have this old fashioned almost Mad Men expectation of women to dress a certain way.”
It was not just about “criticising men” over the issue of dress she said: “They’re often acting unconsciously or behaving in a way which society has taught them is fine to behave, but it is time to change.
“Men can play an active role in encouraging this change and step in on unacceptable behaviour.”
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