BBC anchor’s unintentional slip of tongue during live broadcast amuses internet; Watch

In a lighthearted incident that’s tickled the online community, a video capturing a news anchor’s accidental verbal blunder during a live broadcast has taken the internet by storm. Shared on the microblogging platform X (formerly known as Twitter) by BBC presenter Gareth Barlow, the video has quickly gained viral status.

In the brief 12-second clip, Mr. Barlow is seen poised in front of the camera, prepared to kick off a news segment. However, instead of the customary phrase “You are watching,” the BBC anchor amusingly slips up, uttering “I am watching” by mistake.

Amid the light-hearted mix-up, Mr. Barlow humorously quipped on X, “Can someone please remind me who’s watching the news…” The post’s popularity skyrocketed, accumulating nearly 875,000 views, along with more than 6,900 likes and over 360 reposts.

Amid the viral circulation of the video, a slew of Twitter users shared their delightful reactions. While some characterized it as outright hilarious, others playfully labeled it as “fantastic.”

One user wittily remarked, “You are ‘kind of technically’ watching the news. I mean you’re watching the packages and responding to output, so you’re right. Been one of those days… 😉 At least it’s not the tech having one of those days (which is the worse option).” Another chimed in, “You were watching BBC News… and hosting it. Not entirely incorrect haha.”

A third user hailed the video as “fantastic,” while yet another jested, “At least you remembered what program it was; could have been worse—you could have said Channel 4 news or even worse, ITV.”

This incident isn’t the first time a BBC presenter has grabbed headlines for an on-screen blunder that set social media abuzz. Just a few months ago, anchor Lukwesa Burak created waves when an awkward moment unfolded during a segment. The mishap occurred when a segment was prematurely cut short, catching the presenter off guard as she was unaware she was still live on air.

During a lunchtime segment overseen by Ms. Burak, she decided to stretch a bit while a pre-recorded segment played, only for the feed to unexpectedly snap back to her. This candid moment drew quite a bit of laughter and engagement from viewers, adding to the growing list of memorable BBC on-air bloopers.

Can someone please remind me who’s watching the news… pic.twitter.com/l40jGHhrHK

— Gareth Barlow (@GarethBarlow) August 20, 2023