A BBC presenter has apologised after calling the shadow chancellor “Jeremy C—”.
Nick Robinson, one of the hosts of BBC Radio 4’s flagship Today programme, became the latest journalist to make the infamous gaffe on Friday morning.
He slipped up while grilling Alison McGovern, the employment minister, on welfare cuts ahead of the Budget.
“The Tories announced £12 billion in welfare cuts, and at the time, the Labour Party condemned that,” he said.
“They said that Rishi Sunak, Jeremy C—, had no idea where they get the money.”
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BBC Radio 4
Minutes later, he fessed up to the error, telling listeners: “The eagle-eared amongst you have just pointed out that I repeated what was known as the Jim Naughtie error up until my last interview, in which I mispronounced the name of the former chancellor.
“So can I just apologise for Jeremy Hunt, again. I’m so sorry.”
The former chancellor’s name has been mistakenly taken in vain numerous times over the years.
Mr Naughtie, a former Today programme presenter, famously made the blunder during an interview with Mr Hunt in 2010, with many others since falling into the foul-mouthed trap.
Nina Hossain, who presents the lunchtime news on ITV, referred to “Jeremy C—” earlier this year when reporting on a row involving Michelle Donelan, the former Tory science secretary.
In 2022, during Mr Hunt’s brief stint as Liz Truss’ chancellor in the wake of her disastrous mini-Budget, Robert Peston, ITV’s political editor, made the error on his weekly show.
Discussing the chaotic events in the House of Commons, he said: “That means the hole in the public finances is bigger than it would have been, and Jeremy C—’s – Hunt’s – cuts will be more painful.”
It came just months after Sophy Ridge, the Sky News presenter, made the same slip-up during a live broadcast.
In 2018, Justin Webb, another host of the Today programme, also made the gaffe while reviewing the day’s news coverage.
At the time, Mr Hunt was the health secretary in Theresa May’s Conservative government.
Mr Webb said: “The paper says the health secretary, Jeremy C—… Hunt, is understood to favour a cap on social care.”
