A respected U.K. news anchor was forced to apologize after being caught on tape making a rude and crass statement about a cabinet minister.
Reportedly, Krishnan Guru-Murthy, lead anchor of Channel 4 News, was caught on a live feed calling a cabinet minister a “c–t.”
Guru-Murthy made the comment on Wednesday after an interview with Steve Baker, a member of Parliament, outside the famed 10 Downing Street prime minister’s office building.
Guru-Murthy did not think the cameras were still rolling as he and a staff member discussed the interview.
“It wasn’t a stupid question, Steve, you know it,” Guru-Murthy is heard saying, then laughing as he said of the cabinet minister, “What a c–t.”
The remark did not air on Channel 4’s broadcast, but clips were posted online and quickly went viral. In two days the video garnered more than five million views.
Guru-Murthy had no choice but to apologize.
“After a robust interview with Steve Baker MP I used a very offensive word in an unguarded moment off air,” Guru-Murthy tweeted:
Guru-Murthy added: “While it was not broadcast that word in any context is beneath the standards I set myself and I apologize unreservedly. I have reached out to Steve Baker to say sorry.”
Baker, who serves as minister of state for Northern Ireland, initially suggested to Times Radio that News 4 should fire Guru-Murthy.
The MP said: “It’s most unfortunate that he has sworn on air like that. If it’s in breach of his code of conduct, I do hope they sack him — it would be a service to the public.”
However, Baker later indicated he was willing to accept Guru-Murthy’s apology.
“I appreciate you apologizing. Thank you,” he wrote in reply to the anchor’s tweet.
Guru-Murthy enjoys a strong following. The New York Post reported that most of the online comments regarding the gaffe suggested “the anchor should not have apologized for the slur” with others saying:
“Said what we were all thinking, one person retortedm and another saying, “Most accurate reporting we have had [on] this lot in ages.”
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