ITV News political editor Robert Peston drops C-bomb live on air in awkward Jeremy Hunt gaffe

ITV journalist Robert Peston made the slip-up when discussing the UK’s new Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

With the political situation of the United Kingdom in turmoil, following the resignation of Prime Minister Liz Truss, slip-ups are being made on live television. ITV’s political editor Robert Peston did just that when he was talking about Jeremy Hunt - the country’s new Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Robert Peston was speaking live on ITV News on Wednesday (October 19) when he was addressing Jeremy Hunt’s planned cuts to public spending. He made the blunder saying: “That means the hole in the public finances is bigger than it would have been, and Jeremy C*nt’s - Hunt’s - cuts would be more painful.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Even though the reporter did not immediately address the on air mistake, despite reacting with an awkward smirk, viewers picked up on it and rushed to social media channels such as Twitter to react. LBC political commentator, Jon Sopel, posted: “Why did Robert Peston think that having the script line ‘Jeremy Hunt’s cuts’ would end well?”. Fellow Tweeter, Katie, said: “Mums just been calling me downstairs like someone has died because Robert Peston accidentally said Jeremy C*nt on live telly xxx”.

This is not the first time that the same mistake has been made on live broadcast when referring to the UK Chancellor. The same expletive was used by Sky News presenter Sophy Ridge while she was discussing then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson. It was also referenced across a number of news programmes when Jeremy Hunt was appointed as Home Secretary during Theresa May’s cabinet reshuffle in 2017.

The incident comes after Channel 4 announced it would be suspending news presenter Krishnan Guru-Murthy  for a week after the Liverpool-born journalist was heard on the show’s audio feed using the same expletive  towards Conservative minister Steve Baker.