As if James Naughtie's 'Jeremy Hunt' slip-up wasn't enough, the BBC suffered another embarrassment today after a man interviewed on Radio 4's World at One who claimed to be a Liberal Democrat MP was revealed to be an imposter.
Presenter James Robbins's interview with ministerial aide Mike Crockart, in which he appeared to say he would be prepared to resign over the increase in tuition fees, turned out to be nothing of the sort.
The BBC blamed an incorrect number listed against his name in the corporation's directory of MPs' contact details.
All the "usual pre-broadcast questions" had been asked of the man over the phone, who had "maintained throughout that he was Mr Crockart and appeared credible", the corporation added.
But cursory knowledge of the Lib Dem MP for Edinburgh West might have revealed they had the wrong person. Crockart, the parliamentary private secretary to Scottish secretary Michael Moore, has a Scottish accent, while the BBC's interviewee – according to one listener – sounded like a "Yorkshireman putting on a squeaky voice".
The error will be hugely embarrassing for the BBC on the day when Today presenter Naughtie accidentally called culture secretary Hunt "Jeremy Cunt", an error later repeated by Start the Week host, Andrew Marr.
A BBC spokeswoman said: "The World at One today broadcast an interview about tuition fees with a person wrongly believed to be Liberal Democrat MP Michael Crockart, a junior member of the government.
"The error came about after a call to an incorrect number listed in the BBC' s directory of MPs' contact details. The usual pre-broadcast questions were asked of the person concerned, who maintained throughout that he was Mr Crockart and appeared credible. Once the mistake was realised, steps were taken immediately to rectify the error and to ensure it was not repeated.
"A personal apology has been issued to Mr Crockart and a correction will be made on today's PM programme. We also apologise to our audiences for the error. The relevant part of the programme will be taken off iPlayer and other online platforms."
A fake Crockhart was also quoted in today's London Evening Standard, saying he would resign over the issue of tuition fees.
The quotes were picked up by the Press Association, which later issued a correction saying that the quotes attributed to the MP were from an impersonator.
The Lib Dem press office posted on Twitter: "For the record – Lib Dem PPS Mike Crockart was not on Radio 4 resigning earlier, it was an impersonator (he wasn't even Scottish)."
"We are absolutely clueless as to who it was," said a Lib Dem insider. "We figured it out when our head of media was talking to Mike on the phone and the fake Mike Crockart was on the World at One."
The BBC's most famous case of mistaken identity came four years ago when its 24-hour news channel interviewed a man who had been waiting in the BBC's reception, thinking he was computer expert Guy Kewney. Guy Goma gamely bluffed out the interviewer's questions on screen and briefly shot to fame as the "wrong guy".
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Comments in chronological order (Total 11 comments)
6 December 2010 5:04PM
A fake LibDem MP? How could they tell?
6 December 2010 5:10PM
Probably because he suggested there was a principle he would resign over.
6 December 2010 5:17PM
Seems the DG needn't worry about new comedy or fictional drama being cut from the pension po... er, licence fee; it is already alive and well in the news dept.
6 December 2010 5:32PM
Nice one,
6 December 2010 5:35PM
That's sick.
Imagine someone wanting to be a Lib Dem MP this week.
6 December 2010 5:38PM
you mean there is a Lib Dem who lies?
who'd've thunk it.....
6 December 2010 5:51PM
A fake Crockhart was also quoted in today's London Evening Standard, saying he would resign over the issue of tuition fees.
What a cunning stunt!
As James Naughtie might say.
6 December 2010 6:16PM
Just been listening to PM. Husband assures me that I heard correctly: newsreader stated that Iran said its nuclear bomb was intended for peaceful purposes. May have been dear Peter Donaldson.
6 December 2010 6:46PM
Nuff said.
6 December 2010 10:01PM
I scrolled to the comments expecting to read lots of righteous attacks to the BBC. How pleasantly surprised i was to read some extremely witty comments. I think the BBC should be congratulated on giving us listeners some 'reasons to be cheerfull' in this current austere and intense political atmoshere.
Weve had 1 and 2 today..... now looking forward to 'Reasons to be cheerfull part 3'
7 December 2010 1:36PM
Well...well...there's a surprise...and I thought James Naughtie was describing himself...