Well that’s awkward. Former prime minister Boris Johnson was due to be interviewed by the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg today, ahead of the release next week of his memoir, titled Unleashed, which is currently being serialised by the Mail.
Licence-fee payers would no doubt have been treated to Boris’s expositions on why he considered invading Holland to seize the country’s Covid jabs, and given the inside details of his ‘manly’ chat with Prince Harry to prevent the calamity that was Megxit.
Unfortunately though such delights will be denied to the nation, after an embarrassing BBC gaffe. Kuenssberg wrote on Twitter late last night that she had accidentally sent her briefing notes to Boris ahead of the interview, and as a result the tête-à-tête had to be cancelled:
While prepping to interview Boris Johnson tomorrow, by mistake I sent our briefing notes to him in a message meant 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.
The BBC’s press team added that the slip-up had made the interview ‘untenable’, and ‘under the circumstances, both the BBC and Mr Johnson’s team have agreed this is the best way forward.’
Red faces all round it seems. Still, Mr S can’t help but wonder, given all the resources the BBC has at its disposal, couldn’t someone in Broadcasting House have come up with a new set of questions to grill Boris with before the interview went ahead?
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