BBC anchor Maryam Moshiri was caught giving the middle finger when the program, BBC News, was about to begin on Wednesday, December 6, and its video instantly went viral. But don’t get this presenter wrong, the obscene gesture was just part of a silly joke for friends on the set, not for live TV, and was accidentally caught on camera when the show was about to air. So, to clear the issue, the chief presenter already issued an apology.
BBC’s Maryan Moshiro Flipped Middle Finger for Friends
It all started with the traditional BBC countdown descending to zero, and the camera then panned to Maryan Moshiro, known for being one of BBC’s senior presenters. She was seen with tilted eyes, wide opened eyes, a large smirk, and showing the middle finger, unaware that she was already on air.
But when she realized the show had started, she quickly composed herself and began the segment. “Live from London, this is BBC News,” she said.
🚨#WATCH: As BBC News opens with anchor Maryam Moshiri was caught giving the middle finger live on the broadcast before transitioning to delivering the morning news pic.twitter.com/1l4tHccEM2
— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) December 6, 2023
She then started to read the top story of the show, like the Prime Minister questioning former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s apology over the pain and loss the UK suffered during the coronavirus pandemic.
Maryan Moshiro Apologizes Over the BBC Incident
After the funny but unexpected BBC incident, Maryan Moshiro issued an apology on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday, December 7.
She revealed what really happened that led her to flip the middle finger. At the time, she pretended to count down while the director counted her down from 10-0 with her fingers to show the numbers. So, when the 10 fingers held up to one, she turned the finger around as a joke without realizing it would be caught on camera.
Hey everyone , yesterday just before the top of the hour I was joking around a bit with the team in the gallery.
I was pretending to count down as the director was counting me down from 10-0.. including the fingers to show the number. So from 10 fingers held up to one.
When…
— Maryam Moshiri (@BBCMaryam) December 7, 2023
Moshiro then apologized for what happened. “I’m so sorry it went out on air! It was not my intention for this to happen, and I’m sorry if I offended or upset anyone,” she explained. “I wasn’t ‘flipping the bird’ at viewers or even a person really.”
Fans React to Maryan Moshiro’s BBC Incident
As expected, the comment section of Maryan Moshiro’s post was filled with messages of support, though some used it to criticize the BBC.
User @Saqib_hmed said the incident was hilarious, and he didn’t think there was a need for an apology. As it quickly became a meme, he thanked her for the funny image.
@Betracingnation added that from a funny face, Moshiro quickly turned into a serious mode within just a second to read the news, calling it impressive. @supertanskiii even called her a legend after what happened.
However, @simonharris_mbd claimed what happened wasn’t acceptable, and it defunded the whole BBC. He even asked to cancel and close the network and give it to GB News.
Another said that the news was grim as of late, so it was only right to counter it. However, @GBNewsSpin claimed it fell into the hands of the organization’s detractors.
The incident that happened on BBC is obviously accidental and wasn’t meant to offend anyone. Maryan Moshiro was deeply sorry about it, especially with her position on the network. However, it also couldn’t be denied that people are expecting a lot from the BBC, knowing it’s one of the most reputable news networks in the world. Moshiro apologized and explained what happened, so it might be much better if everyone would just let it pass. They have surely learned their lessons from this.
