BBC News presenter slips up and says rude word on air

The journalist quickly corrected himself after the gaffe

Watch BBC News presenter slip up and say rude word on air

What did you miss?

BBC News presenter Roger Johnson was left red-faced after he appeared to accidentally say a swearword while he was live on air.

The journalist – who is also known for appearances on BBC Breakfast - was presenting on North West Tonight and was talking about clocks when he made the slip up. However, he quickly realised that he had made a blunder over the tongue twister and corrected himself. The TV star also circled back later in the report, to reiterate the word that he had meant to say.

What, how, and why?

BBC News presenter Roger Johnson (BBC)
BBC News presenter Roger Johnson (BBC)

Johnson, who landed his first BBC role back in the 90s, had been delivering a segment about a cuckoo clock when he made the mistake. Sat in front of the intricate clock, he told viewers: "The clock is ticking until the weather with Kaye (Kaye Forster)."

"It might also be ticking on the current ownership of the world's largest cuckoo clock collection," he went on. But when Johnson went to say the word “clock”, he appeared to stumble and accidentally said a similar – and rather ruder – word.

The TV presenter, who appeared to have been slightly distracted by the clock chiming and the cuckoo popping out and chirping, rushed to cover it up, quickly clarifying that it was a "clock collection" that he was talking about. And with a small smile he joked to viewers: “That was easy to say.”

What else happened?

BBC News presenter accidentally slipped up and said a rude word on air.
BBC News presenter accidentally slipped up and said a rude word on air. (BBC grab)

Johnson then pressed on seamlessly with his report about the huge clock, explaining that brothers who had spent their lives collecting hundreds of different timepieces were looking for someone to take over running their display.

"They are looking for someone who shares their passion to take over the running of their unique attraction of CLOCKS," he said, loudly emphasising the word. "‘Just to be clear," he added. "That's what I said."

And he later joked: "It's all a bit cuckoo, isn't it?"

Read more: BBC

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