Maryam Moshiri, a prominent presenter at the BBC, found herself in a bit of controversy as she was captured on live television displaying her middle finger during a broadcast. This incident occurred on Wednesday, just as she was preparing to deliver the afternoon news.
The video of Moshiri's seemingly spontaneous gesture surfaced on social media, quickly going viral. Following the customary countdown, the broadcast transitioned to Maryam Moshiri, who, with a smile, extended her middle finger. Swiftly regaining composure, she proceeded with the broadcast, commencing with the phrase, "Live from London, this is BBC News."
During the broadcast, Moshiri addressed a significant news item: "Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson apologizes for the pain and loss suffered in the UK during the coronavirus pandemic."
Upon the video gaining widespread attention, Maryam Moshiri took to social media, specifically X, to explain the situation. She mentioned that the gesture was part of a light-hearted exchange with the gallery team, emphasizing that she had not anticipated it being captured on camera. Moshiri extended her apologies, clarifying that it was an unintended occurrence, and expressing regret if anyone had been offended or upset by the incident.
Responses to her post varied, with some accepting the apology, finding the incident humorous, while others called for her resignation and advocated for defunding the BBC. Interestingly, this is not the first instance of a BBC presenter using the middle finger on live television. In 2010, weatherman Tomasz Schafernaker playfully displayed the gesture to news presenter Simon McCoy, attempting to pass it off as a chin-scratching gesture once he realized he was on camera.
The BBC has faced other on-air mishaps, such as a 2022 incident where a message reading "Manchester United are rubbish" appeared on the news channel during a tennis update. The presenter, Annita McVeigh, later issued an apology, attributing the error to someone learning to operate the ticker and inadvertently inputting "random things not in earnest."
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