Maryam Moshiri, a prominent BBC presenter who extended her middle finger during a live broadcast has issued an apology, attributing the incident to a misguided ‘silly joke.’
Maryam Moshiri, a prominent news presenter for the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), was captured on Wednesday making the gesture as the midday news segment, introduced with a countdown, commenced.
Upon realizing she was on air, Moshiri promptly lowered her finger and proceeded to deliver the news headlines. Taking to the platform formerly known as Twitter on Thursday, she expressed regret for the incident, explaining that it was a “private joke” intended for a limited audience and was not anticipated to be broadcast.
Moshiri clarified, “I was pretending to count down as the director was counting me down from 10-0… including the fingers to show the number. So from 10 fingers held up to one.” She added that when they reached “1,” she playfully turned her finger around as part of the joke, unaware that it would be captured on camera.
Apologizing for any offense caused, she acknowledged it as a lighthearted jest meant for a select group of friends, accompanied by a “face palm” emoji. The incident gained widespread attention on social media, with even the UK’s Conservative Party attempting to turn it into a meme, drawing criticism in response.
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The Conservative Party’s official Twitter account posted a meme related to illegal immigration, leading to disapproval from two Tory MPs, Alicia Kearns and Tobias Ellwood, who urged the removal of the post.
Meanwhile, the political backdrop includes Prime Minister Rishi Sunak facing challenges and potential rebellion within the Conservative Party over a contentious plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda.
The draft legislation follows a recent Supreme Court ruling deeming Rwanda unsafe for such purposes, raising legal and international law concerns.
