BBC radio news presenter Nick Robinson isn’t the first, just the latest broadcaster to have to apologise after getting one partcular UK senior politician’s name wrong, and very rude, live on air.
The Sun newspaper reports that Robinson made the boo-boo Friday morning during the BBC’s flagship current affairs radio show The Today Programme.
Referencing the shadow chancellor Jeremy Hunt, Robinson said:
“When the Tories announced £12 billion in welfare cuts, and at the time the Labour Party ondemned that, they said that Rishi Sunak and Jeremy C**t had no idea where they’d get ‘the money, you’re going to do exactly the same aren’t you in this Budget?”
A few minutes later, the presenter spoke up to say:
“The eagle-eared amongst you have just pointed out that I repeated what was known as the (former presenter) Jim Naughtie error up until my last interview in which I mispronounced the name of the former Conservative chancellor, the current shadow chancellor, so can I just apologise to Jeremy Hunt.”
Jim Naughtie previously made the same error about Jeremy Hunt, as did fellow Today presenter Justin Webb, and another BBC journalist Victoria Derbyshire. For his part, Hunt has said he is used to it, having been called the same insult during his school days.
In addition, Harry Potter actress Miriam Margolyes accidentally swore live on air about Jeremy Hunt when she was his fellow guest on The Today Programme.
Margolyes was on the show in October 2022 to pay tribute to her friend and former co-star, late actor Robbie Coltrane, but then, believing the microphones to be off, told the presenters about meeting Hunt, who has very different political views from the left-wing actress, in the waiting room:
“I wished him luck in his new job but what I really wanted to say was ‘F*** you, b******.”
The presenters quickly apologised, and Margolyes said afterwards that she was mortified for swearing on the BBC.
