London (Parliament Politics Magazine) – The BBC has called off a prime-time interview with ex-PM Boris Johnson after the presenter Laura Kuenssberg accidentally sent her briefing memos to Johnson.
BBC’s Kuenssberg expressed she sent Johnson the notes “in a message meant for my team”. The ex-BBC political editor expressed it was “embarrassing and disappointing”, adding the error indicated it was “not right for the interview to go ahead”.
What topics was Johnson expected to discuss?
Due to be publicised at 7.30 pm on Thursday on BBC One, it was being billed as Johnson’s first major discussion since leaving office. He was expected to debate Brexit, his government’s handling of the COVID pandemic and the Partygate scandal.
Who else could interview Boris Johnson now?
Other broadcasters and podcasters have proposed to interview in Kuenssberg’s place amid calls for the BBC to use another journalist. Those volunteering on X to perform the interview included Sky’s ex-political editor Adam Boulton, Tony Blair’s ex-director of communications Alastair Campbell, and the Channel 4 News presenters Cathy Newman and Krishnan Guru-Murthy.
How has the public reacted to the cancellation?
Sunder Katwala, the head of the think tank British Future, also advised the BBC to find a replacement to perform the interview. “Shouldn’t the BBC just get somebody else to do the interview on Friday or next week?” he said. Johnson, who was prime minister from 2019 to 2022, has a biography, Unleashed, being published next week.
What implications does this mistake have for Kuenssberg?
Kuenssberg previously reviewed his government in Panorama episode Partygate: Inside the Storm, and looked back at the recent Conservative years in a three-part BBC Two series called Laura Kuenssberg: State of Chaos.
Kuenssberg noted: “While prepping to interview Boris Johnson tomorrow, by error I sent our briefing notes to him in a message indicated for my team. That obviously means it’s not right for the interview to go ahead. It’s very frustrating, and there’s no point pretending it’s anything other than embarrassing and disappointing, as there are plenty of important questions to be asked. But red faces aside, honesty is the best policy. See you on Sunday.”
A BBC spokesperson was noted as saying the inadvertent move made the interview “untenable” and that both the BBC and Johnson’s team had arranged to cancel it.