“I asked for you not to mention that.”
A typo caused on-air chaos on GB News, as the right-wing broadcaster, which is no stranger to controversy, featured yet another car crash interview.
The channel had invited lawyer Jonathan Coad on to the show to discuss whether journalist Isabel Oakeshott’s decision to leak Matt Hancock’s WhatsApps from the height of the pandemic were actually in the public interest, but it all went downhill from the very moment he was introduced.
Presenter Steve N Allen welcomed Coad by telling viewers that the lawyer was asked to ‘recently act for Matt Hancock’, before thanking him for joining the show.
Turns out that Coad had specifically asked the programme not to disclose that he had been asked to act for Hancock.
He said: “Yes, I’m going to have to say, that’s disappointing.
“Because I made it absolutely clear to your programme – I asked them not to disclose that, and that is very, very poor journalism.”
Allen replied: “Well, are you OK to carry on or is that the kind of thing that means you don’t want to carry on?”
“No, it doesn’t mean I want to carry on, because I disagree with a lot of what you say.
“You’ve stood there in front of a baying audience, throwing poo left, right and centre at Matt Hancock, when your own television station has engaged in correspondence with me, where I explained that I’m in a position to be able to comment on this, and mention that I had been approached by Matt Hancock.
“I asked for you not to mention that.”
“Well I apologise for that,” Allen replied.
Coad continued: “You mentioned it, if anybody is tempted to take you seriously or your programme seriously, here is a good reason not to.
“In this moment I can apologise for including that information, and you are of course, I would love to know your counters to any points I made”, said Allen.
The host then said he had been asked to read out the email Coad had sent to the producer on air.
Coad’s email read: ″As a courtesy to the lady who approached me to act for MH [Matt Hancock] I would be grateful if it was mentioned that he asked me to act for him.”
Laughter could then be heard from the newsroom, before Coad then said: “You’re absolutely right, it’s my mistake, I missed out the ‘not’ I take all of that back, my abject apologies.”
The clip of the car crash interview was shared online, with one social media user writing: “Of COURSE Hancock hired a lawyer like this.”
Basit Mahmood is editor of Left Foot Forward
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