A live interview was cut short due to a BBC gaffe during a debate about Boris Johnson retiring as an MP.
On Friday, the former Prime Minister announced his resignation, blaming a Commons probe into whether he misled Parliament over partygate of trying to “push me out.”
The enraged lawmaker dubbed the Privileges Committee’s examination into whether he deceived MPs by saying Covid regulations were followed amid claims of lockdown-busting parties in No 10 a “kangaroo court,” and said the cross-party group of MPs tried to depose him in a “political hit-job.”
He said the committee’s final report – yet to be published – is ‘riddled with inaccuracies and reeks of prejudice’ while providing him with ‘no formal ability to challenge anything they say’.
‘I did not lie, and I believe that in their hearts the committee know it,’ he insisted, before saying he was ‘sorry’ to leave his ‘wonderful constituency’ of Uxbridge and South Ruislip.
Amongst the broadcasters across the nation following the breaking news story, one interview went quite wrong, as the ‘meeting was ended by host’
The meeting was cut short, leaving the BBC newsreader awkwardly trying to move on from the gaffe, in terms all too familiar to people who have been utilising Zoom while working from home has expanded considerably during and after the epidemic.
Professor John Curtice, a political scientist, was going to be asked to remark on the issue when his interview screen went black and the words ‘This meeting has been ended by the presenter’ appeared instead.
The newsreader was then left fumbling: ‘Oh, just as I was building up there, this meeting has been ended by the host.’
‘That wasn’t me,’ he insisted, smiling to the camera.
While TV reviewer Scott Bryan said, ‘I beg of you BBC News, update to Zoom Pro,’ others saw that the issue wasn’t one of investing in technology, but rather that the meeting had been intentionally cut short.
‘I think they have Pro, they just ended this one accidentally. Otherwise it would say “this free meeting has ended”,’ a viewer clarified.
Another joked: ‘Ooops. When Zooms go wrong Part 94.’
The BBC has had many unpleasant incidents in recent months, from a studio going black to broadcaster Lukwesa Burak making viewers laugh after recognising she was still on television at a ‘big stretch’ moment.
Earlier today, a BBC Breakfast presenter’s football coverage was cut short when a fan asked for directions.
Sports writer John Watson was on the streets of Istanbul, speaking with fans ahead of the UEFA Champions League final between Manchester City and Inter Milan, when one approached him with a question.
Looking up to speak, he saw the camera and hurriedly went off-screen, clearly comprehending his error as he apologised to John and walked away.
