A Chinese TV production company has attracted an online social media storm after it was reported that a director of the station demanded that a pretty TV presenter raise the level of her skirt so that the largely male audience could see her long legs.

The reporter, identified as Jin Jiayue, had been reporting on the National Basketball Association results, but the director of the Migu Video production company had apparently been annoyed when he saw that she had a dress covering her long legs, and had forced her to tuck it up further so that fans could see more.

Pictures that were widely shared online appeared to show the young woman in what was apparently the first half with a dress going down below her knees, whereas in the second it had quite clearly been tucked up so that it was higher and more of her legs could be seen.

Many demanded action be taken against the director, but other people suggested that the young woman might have voluntarily decided to raise the hem of her skirt and that the director should not be blamed until the social media allegations were confirmed.

After the argument went viral, the young woman appeared on social media, where she claimed that the decision to raise the hem of her skirt had been taken after she reviewed her performance independently with her makeup lady, and they decided that the dress they had chosen was too retro.

As a result, they had decided to raise the hem by folding the skirt, and this had been carried out by the makeup lady.