BBC presenter apologises for calling Nigel Farage's language 'inflammatory'

Apology for breaching impartiality

A BBC presenter, Geeta Guru-Murthy, was forced to apologise live on air for accusing Nigel Farage of using "customary inflammatory language" during a campaign event in Dover. The apology came after breaching impartiality rules while covering the Reform president's speech.

Farage's defense and response

In his speech, Farage defended calling small boat crossings an "invasion" and urged for Channel migration to be labelled a "national security emergency". This led to a public outcry, prompting Farage to question the lack of impartiality from the presenter and the BBC. However, he chose not to file an official complaint, suggesting a simple acknowledgment of the mistake would suffice.

Apology and clarification

Following the incident, Geeta Guru-Murthy issued an apology on air, acknowledging her language did not meet the BBC's editorial standards on impartiality. She expressed regret for the oversight and clarified her remarks, stating they were made out of context.

Previous controversies

This is not the first time the BBC has faced scrutiny over its coverage of Farage and Reform. In a separate incident in March, the broadcaster apologised for labelling Reform as "far-right" in a news report, acknowledging that the statement did not align with their editorial standards.