BBC star Clive Myrie 'shaken' by 'disturbing' messages

BBC newsreader Clive Myrie has revealed he was left "shaken" after receiving death threats which detailed the kind of bullets his tormentor would use. During an emotional interview with Lauren Laverne on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs, the 59 year old journalist shared his experiences of increased racial hatred since becoming a more prominent figure on television.

The seasoned journalist is poised to take the helm as co-host for the BBC's election night coverage, joining forces with Laura Kuenssberg, the face of the broadcaster's Sunday morning political show.

He will present the BBC's results programme through the night from 10pm on July 4 until early the following morning. He replaces Huw Edwards who left the BBC earlier this year.

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Clive recounted the vile abuse he's faced, including receiving faeces and racially offensive cards featuring gorillas, along with emails stating: "You shouldn't be on our TV; you dress like a pimp". He went on: "But one chap issued death threats, and he was tracked down and prosecuted, and his death threats involved talking about the kind of bullet that he'd use in the gun to kill me and this kind of stuff."

Reflecting on the impact of the threats, Myrie admitted: "I was shaken for a while after I'd been told. I thought it's just someone showboating. It's just bravado."

The situation took a more sinister turn. He said: "They tracked down this character, and it turned out that he had previous convictions for firearms offences. So (I) thought, 'Oh my God, what, if anything, might this person have been planning?'"

In the interview, Myrie also touched upon how the Windrush scandal had taken its toll on his family, who are part of the generation who came to the UK from Jamaica. In 2017, the public became aware that numerous Commonwealth citizens, including many from the Windrush generation, had been wrongfully detained, deported, and stripped of their legal rights.

This scandal predominantly affected British citizens of Caribbean descent, who found themselves without access to healthcare and benefits, and facing deportation threats despite being entitled to reside in the UK. Myrie shared that his brother Lionel has finally been granted the right to remain in the UK.

Tragically, his other brother Peter passed away from prostate cancer before his status could be resolved. An emotional Myrie recounted to host Laverne: "...Peter died before he got his stuff, and it's just dreadful."

He expressed his brother's unfulfilled wish: "He wanted to take his daughter to Jamaica, so that she could see her parents homeland and he couldn't do that, he died of prostate cancer."

Myrie highlighted the ongoing issues saying: "There are still people who haven't received their compensation. It's just very, very sad."

Who is Clive Myrie?

Hailing from Bolton, Myrie pursued Law at the University of Sussex and later joined the BBC as a journalism trainee in 1988. Discussing his career aspirations on Desert Island Discs, Myrie stated: "I didn't want to be seen as a black journalist," emphasizing his desire to be recognized for his work rather than his race.

He recalled the stereotypical assignments given to black journalists: "Notting Hill Carnival send the black guy, riot out on the street in some inner city area send the black guy. I didn't want that .I didn't want my colour to define who I am, and the BBC understood that."

Myrie is poised to co-anchor the BBC's election night coverage for the first time."(It is) a lot of pressure, and there's a nervous energy there as well, which is wonderful," he said.

"I've never presented an election programme in the UK before. I'm getting my head around a lot of statistics. But you know, we want to try and make it fun too; it is not just going to be a night for geeks. I hope it's not just a night for political geeks.

"I want people to be able to tune in and get a sense of where this country is going and the buzz of being on the front line. This is the front line of what it means to be British regarding the elections."

Looking forward to the adrenaline rush of the July 4 election, Myrie anticipates it will keep him awake until the "wee small hours" of the morning. Labour are currently ahead in the polls as Rishi Sunak fights to remain as PM.