THE BBC has been caught in a mortifying blunder as Radio 4 presenter Nick Robinson got a top politician’s name very wrong live on air.
The flagship Today programme host has apologised for mispronouncing the surname of the shadow chancellor Jeremy Hunt with a rude word.
Shocked listeners today heard Robinson accidentally say “c***” as he spoke about welfare cuts.
He said: “When the Tories announced £12 billion in welfare cuts, and at the time the Labour Party condemned 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, 61, said he was sorry for the gaffe.
He explained: “The eagle-eared amongst you have just pointed out that I repeated what was known as the 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.
“Again, I’m so sorry.”
It is not the first embarrassing slip up made by a Today host related to Hunt’s surname.
Justin Webb made the same error when the Tory politician was Culture Secretary.
As did BBC presenter Victoria Derbyshire in June 2019 on her own weekday show, when he was Foreign Secretary.
Days later, Hunt urged people to “grow up” in relation to his name.
Presenters on ITV and Sky News have also made the same mistake.
Hunt told the Telegraph’s Brexit podcast he was often called “Jeremy C***” during his school days.
“I’m used to it. I had this when I was at school,” he said.
“Personally I think people should just grow up and get over the fact that my last name rhymes with a rather unpleasant word.”