BBC presenter Victoria Derbyshire apologises as she becomes the latest star to mispronounce the Foreign Secretary’s name and call him ‘Jeremy C***’ live on air
- BBC presenter Victoria Derbyshire made error on her weekday news programme
- It happened during a four-way debate over who should be the next Tory leader
- Derbyshire, 50, told viewers today that it is usually men who make the mistake
- But she joins a long list of presenters – male and female – to have made the error
Published: 06:53 EDT, 10 June 2019 | Updated: 08:29 EDT, 10 June 2019
BBC presenter Victoria Derbyshire today became the latest media figure to blunder by pronouncing the surname of Tory leadership hopeful Jeremy Hunt as ‘C***’.
She made the error during an exchange on her weekday news and current affairs programme during a four-way debate over who should be the next Tory leader.
Derbyshire, 50, said on the programme on BBC Two this morning that she was especially embarrassed because it was usually men who made the mistake.
Victoria Derbyshire pronounced the surname of Jeremy Hunt as ‘C***’ today. The BBC’s subtitle service managed to avoid further embarrassment by substituting the word with ‘EXPLETIVE’
Addressing Conservative MP Steve Brine, she said: ‘You say the man you are backing, Jeremy C*** … I’m so sorry, Jeremy Hunt.
‘I’ve never said that before in my life. It’s normally men who say that so I really, really want to apologise.’
The BBC’s subtitle service managed to avoid further embarrassment by substituting the word with ‘EXPLETIVE’.
Derbyshire later tweeted: ‘Apologies again and I meant it’s been mostly men on air, male broadcasters, who have ended up getting his name wrong.
Derbyshire later insisted she was not saying ‘men generally go around saying the word’
Jeremy Hunt, pictured in Westminster this morning, is a Conservative Party leadership hopeful
‘Am not saying men generally go around saying the word! That’s what was in my head – appreciate it didn’t come out like that. Sorry again.’
Who has made the Jeremy C*** slip up?
- Last week: Nicky Campbell, BBC Radio 5 Live
- January: Carrie Gracie, BBC News Channel
- June 2018: Justin Webb, BBC Radio 4
- 2012: Harriet Harman, BBC’s Question Time
- December 2010: Andrew Marr, BBC Radio 4
- December 2010: James Naughtie, BBC Radio 4
Women presenters who have previously made the error live on air include BBC News presenter Carrie Gracie on the BBC News Channel in January.
And in 2012, Harriet Harman, who was then the deputy leader of the Labour Party, also made the slip up on the BBC programme Question Time.
It is not the first time a BBC presenter has been embarrassed by the Foreign Secretary’s name – with two of the most famous ones happening on BBC Radio 4.
James Naughtie made the error in 2010 when Mr Hunt was culture secretary, and Justin Webb tripped up last June when he was health and social care secretary.
Other journalists who have made the error in the past include Sky News correspondent Jon Craig, and Andrew Marr on Radio 4. Just last week, BBC Radio 5 Live host Nicky Campbell did the same thing.
Advertisement
