BBC cancels Boris Johnson interview after email gaffe
An electronic file that Boris Johnson should not have seen ended up in his possession. It was sent by journalist Laura Kuenssberg, who was preparing for an interview with the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. This mistake led the BBC to cancel the interview scheduled for Thursday evening.
2:49 PM EDT, October 3, 2024
The interview with former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, initially planned to air on Thursday evening, was meant to cover the politician's book Unleashed, among other topics. Unleashed is set to hit British bookstores on October 10th.
However, the on-air dialogue between Johnson and the interviewer, Laura Kuenssberg, will no longer take place. The journalist described the incident as a "embarrassing and disappointing" mishap.
No Boris Johnson interview on BBC due to a mistake
The journalist sent the politician her notes. These consisted of her preparations for the interview and included questions she intended to ask the former Prime Minister.
Kuenssberg reported the mistake on social media. "While prepping to interview Boris Johnson tomorrow, by mistake, I sent our briefing notes to him in a message meant for my team," Laura Kuenssberg posted on platform X.
The host of the station's flagship morning news program added that, in such a situation, the interview could not go forward. "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," Kuenssberg wrote.
A BBC spokesperson confirmed that this minor circumstance renders the interview "untenable." He explained that the station and Boris Johnson's team agreed to cancel it.
The interview was intended to promote the former Prime Minister's new book, "Unleashed." Although it will not appear in bookstores until next week, it is already a topic of speculation. The media has quoted passages where the politician wrote about the illness of the late Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away in 2022. There is also an expectation that Johnson would have discussed his government's handling of the COVID pandemic and the parties held at Downing Street during that time.
