F1 reporter Lee McKenzie reveals heartbreaking story of online fan abuse taking a toll on her

F1 reporter Lee McKenzie revealed that she was affected by the online fan abuse directed towards her appearance and weight during the 2025 Spanish GP. The Scot has been a presenter in the sports broadcasting industry for over two decades, following in the footsteps of her father, Bob McKenzie, who was a journalist for 35 years at the Daily Express.

Since 2006, the 47-year-old has been covering F1 for broadcasters such as Sky Sports, BBC, and Channel 4. Apart from motorsport, McKenzie has been a mainstay in covering other sports like Rugby, Tennis, and Football.

McKenzie works for Channel 4 and covers Formula 1 alongside esteemed pundits and former F1 drivers like David Coulthard and Mark Webber. However, on her Instagram post, she shared a heartbreaking story of facing online abuse after experiencing some health issues, writing:

"Last month, I went into the hospital for an operation, and I’ve been struggling with some health issues for a while now. As you see on here, I’m a private person and I post about my work, not too much about life outside of work. I don’t need or want attention or validation. But the comments about my appearance and weight at the Spanish Grand Prix have been horrific. I’ve had to turn off comments on my social media.

"It’s worth saying they came from women and men alike. If you don’t like what someone wears or looks like on television, feel free to think about it but why send it to them? I’m a journalist and I’m good at my job and I’m furious that this affects me. But it does and there will be people out there getting similar abuse that are not as strong as me. Don’t do it."

Lee McKenzie also gained popularity in the 2010s for her hilarious interviews with former four-time F1 world champion Sebastian Vettel during his time in Red Bull and Ferrari.

F1 presenter comes in support of Lee McKenzie, amid facing online fan abuse

Sky Sports F1 presenter Natalie Pinkham strongly condemned the online abuse directed towards her colleague and friend Lee McKenzie after the latter shared her story on social media.

Pinkham, who has been working with the Scot in the paddock for over a decade, shared a post and wrote:

"Online abuse needs to be regularly and rigorously called out. Today I learnt that my mate @leemckenzietv has been subjected to it, which makes me angry, sad, but most of all more determined than ever."

Formula 1 and the FIA have also been working towards reducing and taking action against online abuse and have conducted research on the subject to better tackle it in the future.