A BBC radio presenter has claimed that the Prime Minister’s senior adviser Dominic Cummings ‘a d*ck’ live on-air during a blunder that BBC chiefs’ wish never happened, the comments have raised questions over the public service broadcaster’s impartiality.
BBC presenter Nuala McKeever made the derogatory remarks about Dominic Cummings during a broadcast on BBC Radio Ulster. The comments by Ms McKeever, 55, could be overhead during Monday’s 3pm news bulletin as she waited to present her afternoon show.
As BBC Radio Ulster’s Damian Edgar read the news featuring Mr Cummings’ alleged breach of lockdown rules, listeners of the show could also hear Ms McKeever’s microphone that had not been turned off and could hear her personal opinion on the Downing Street chief.
Ms McKeever was heard saying: “I was thinking he was such a d*ck – I had written his name as Richard Cummings… Freudian slip or what?”
The comedian and TV personality had been stepping-in for regular presenter Lynette Fay on BBC Radio Ulster’s magazine show, however, this most recent blunder has lead many to ask if this was the correct stand-in.
The BBC has since issued an apology and urged the public that the comments were not intended for broadcast.
A BBC Northern Ireland spokeswoman said: “The comments were not intended for broadcast and should not have been.
“This interruption to our news bulletin was the result of a technical error.
“We very much regret what happened and the upset caused.”
The comments do appear to have been accidentally broadcast on BBC radio, it came just hours before Dominic Cummings defended his decision to drive from London to County Durham during the coronavirus lockdown.
Mr Cummings said: “The truth is that I had argued for lockdown.
“I did not oppose it, but these stories had created a very bad atmosphere around my home, I was subjected to threats of violence, people came to my house shouting threats, there were posts on social media encouraging attacks.”
He added he was worried “this situation would get worse”, and “I was worried about the possibility of leaving my wife and child at home all day and often into the night while I worked in Number 10”.
“I thought the best thing to do in all the circumstances was to drive to an isolated cottage on my father’s farm.”
Downing Street briefing on Tuesday afternoon, Health Secretary Matt Hancock reiterated his defence for Mr Cummings.
He said: “My view is that what he did was within the guidelines.
“I can understand why reasonable people can take a different view, but my judgment, which is the same as the Prime Minister’s judgment, is that what Mr Cummings did was within the guidelines.
“After all, the guidelines allow for exceptional circumstances, particularly with regards to childcare and we’ve stated before that if you’re unable to look after a small child, that is an exceptional circumstance.”
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Editor-in-Chief | Carl D. Pearson has been involved in British politics and media from an early age, with the key knowledge of what it takes to run a news organisation for the 21st century. Mr Pearson, as Editor-in-chief, is responsible for supervising the daily tasks of publishing media and content to UNN’s website and various platforms.
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