In fact, the lecturer, who is from east London and grew up in Essex, says she herself has changed the way she talks. "I've modified my accent down a lot," she says. "I've had people call in on ...

Cambridge University researchers found that people from Belfast were best at detecting someone imitating their accent. But people from London and Essex were the worst at detecting fakes ...

Students at Westcliff High School for Girls have appeared on The One Show to discuss the pressures they feel due to the negative stereotypes linked to the Essex accent. On Tuesday night ...

Dr Cole, a lecturer at the University of Essex, says there is a "hierarchy of accents" in the UK, with accents from industrialised urban areas like Glasgow and Birmingham often seen as low status.