Naughty radio presenter mocked over on-air gaffe

VETERAN broadcaster James Naughtie yesterday apologised for an on-air gaffe in which he mispronounced Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt’s surname as an offensive word.

The 59-year-old presenter of BBC Radio 4’s flagship Today programme made the slip-up just before yesterday’s 8am news segment and struggled to contain his composure throughout the headlines where he could be heard giggling and coughing throughout.

Later on in the show guests mocked Naughtie, who has now become the top trending topic on Twitter.

Hunt himself also weighed in, saying on his Twitter page.

“They say prepare for anything before going on Today but that took the biscuit... I was laughing as much as u Jim or shld I say D pooner,” he tweeted.

Naughtie repeatedly apologised, describing the slip as “the most unintentional thing imaginable”.

“I’m afraid many of you will have noticed that I landed in one of those awful verbal tangles just before eight o’clock.”

“All I can say is occasionally in live broadcasting these things happen and I’m very sorry to [anyone who thought it wasn’t what they wanted to hear over their breakfast.

“Needless to say neither did I.”

Naughtie’s embarrassment was later shared by the BBC’s former political editor Andrew Marr who, whilst presenting his own radio show Start The Week on the same station, made the same mistake — despite joking to his guests that he wouldn’t.

“I must apologise for saying it again but it’s just very hard to talk about it without saying it,” Marr said.