'I didn't speak the Queen's English': Why people worry about their accents

Growing up in Manchester, Mia Tanswell didn't give her accent much thought - until her first week at university in Loughborough.

"I knew people were going to notice that I was northern and that I didn't speak the 'Queen's English'," the 22-year-old says.

"Definitely in seminars I would sometimes feel like my accent would sound a bit less intellectual than other people, especially if I was the only northern student in the classroom."

She's not alone. Fresh polling seen by the BBC suggests many workers still see so-called "accent bias" as a problem.

The survey found one in 10 people in Britain feel anxious or self-conscious about their accent in high stakes professional settings such as speaking up in a business meeting.

The research, conducted by the organisation More in Common of more than 3,300 adults across England, Scotland and Wales, found accent-related anxiety in work settings like these was highest among Geordies - from the region around Newcastle - and those with an east London - or Cockney - accent (at 19%), followed by people with a Welsh accent (at 18%).

Around 5% of respondents believed their accent had cost them a promotion, pay rise or senior role. "Brummies" - people from Birmingham - were the most likely to feel this, at 13%.

Respondents with a West Country accent reported the highest rate of having their accent mocked or criticised by colleagues, at 15%, followed by 13% of those with a Geordie accent.