A BBC news anchor has apologized for a ‘silly joke’ intended for colleagues but not for a live broadcast after it was unintentionally captured on camera, showing her giving the middle finger at the beginning of the show.
Maryam Moshiri, one of the main presenters on BBC News, was seen raising her eyebrows and extending her raised middle finger at the start of the noontime bulletin, following the conclusion of the show’s iconic countdown. With a swift motion of her hand, she covered her face, then calmly and seriously read aloud the headlines regarding Boris Johnson’s presence before the Covid inquiry. She expressed regret for the incident, stating that it was a joke with the crew and that she had been kidding by feigning a countdown with her fingers.
She explained, ‘I turned [my] finger around as a joke when we got to one and did not realize that this would be caught on camera.’ She continued, ‘I apologize sincerely for the joke that accidentally went viral on broadcast; it was a private one with the team! I apologize to everyone I may have disturbed or offended; this was not my aim. I wasn’t “flipping the bird” at the audience or anyone else.’ She concluded her statement with a “facepalm” emoji, saying, ‘It was a silly joke that was meant for a small number of my mates.’ After Moshiri’s post, some people took offense, calling for the BBC to be denied funding and tweeting that it was unprofessional.
Nevertheless, she also received a ton of support from other individuals who found the incident amusing. One person even said, ‘As a BBC license payer, I demand more of this type of behavior.’ Perhaps Moshiri should take comfort in the fact that her response was not as extreme as that of BBC weatherman Tomasz Schafernaker, who was caught on camera making a rude gesture.
When Schafernaker realized he was being filmed, he panicked and wildly tried to pretend to scratch his chin, but to no avail. Schafernaker had humorously flipped the bird at news anchor Simon McCoy in 2010. The films have brightened millions of moments in the ensuing ten years, adding to the weatherman’s ongoing appeal.
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