BBC presenter Kirsty Young has had a fairly unpleasant mistake after inadvertently referring to Strictly Come Dancing judge Anton Du Beke as ‘Anton Du Berk’.
Kirsty, 54, was the broadcaster’s face of the coronation after covering the late Queen Elizabeth’s funeral last year. She formerly hosted Desert Island Discs from 2006 to 2018.
The majority of the show, which lasted over four hours, went off without a hitch, although there was a little hiccup at the conclusion.
Kirsty added of the Strictly judge, who came alongside Deborah Meaden from Dragons’ Den, ‘I am thrilled now to be joined by Anton Du Berk, and a well-known face from Dragons’ Den, Deborah Meaden.’
Anton, 56, seemed like he was going to burst out laughing as soon as the pronunciation spilled out and glanced uncomfortable at the camera.
However, it looked that the presenter was unaware of her error, as she continued on as if nothing had happened.
People watching at home, however, made sure to convey that they had heard the blunder.
‘Did Kirsty Young just say Anton De Berk?!,’ one person posted on Twitter.
When questioned about his memories of the momentous day, Anton characterised it as a “wonderful spectacle.”
‘It’s a wonderful day.’
He then revealed he had ‘literally welled up’ while listening to the newly crowned King recite the lines: ‘God save the King.’
‘It’s incredible to still feel this way about it. Still is resonates so strongly. The pomp and ceremony…I just find it very, very emotional and I love it,’ he added.
Later speaking about how he loved the partnership of King Charles and Queen Camilla, Anton said it was a ‘lovely relationship to watch’.
‘They are King and Queen, husband and wife, best friends, and they are soulmates,’ he said.
He added they were a ‘wonderful couple’ and were ‘made for each other’.
Despite her success at the late queen’s funeral, Kirsty said earlier this week that she wasn’t sure whether she’d be invited to broadcast coverage of the coronation and performance.
Kirsty returned to presenting last year after taking a break owing to chronic pain for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and her state funeral two months later.
Regardless, she did still wonder if she would be asked back.
She explained it was a ‘hot ticket’, but after being asked, she explained her job would be to ‘put the event into words and ask the questions that a typical viewer might ask’.
