Nick Robinson apologises for Jeremy Hunt name blunder

A presenter on BBC Radio 4’s flagship Today programme has apologised for mispronouncing the surname of shadow chancellor Jeremy Hunt as a rude word.

Nick Robinson made the error while interviewing employment minister Alison McGovern on the programme on Friday morning.

Listeners heard him say: “When the Tories announced £12 billion in welfare cuts, and at the time the Labour Party condemned that, they said that Rishi Sunak and Jeremy C*** had no idea where they’d get the money, you’re going to do exactly the same aren’t you in this Budget?”

Around 10 minutes later, Robinson issued an apology on air, saying: “The eagle-eared amongst you have just pointed out that I repeated what was known as the Jim Naughtie error up until my last interview in which I mispronounced the name of the former Conservative chancellor, the current shadow chancellor, so can I just apologise to Jeremy Hunt.

“Again, I’m so sorry.”

It is not the first time a Today presenter has been embarrassed by the shadow chancellor’s name.

Justin Webb made the error when Mr Hunt was health secretary while James Naughtie tripped up when the politician was culture secretary.

BBC presenter Victoria Derbyshire also mispronounced the surname in the same way in June 2019, when Mr Hunt was foreign secretary, during an exchange on her own weekday news and current affairs programme.

Days after Derbyshire’s blunder, Mr Hunt said people should “grow up” and refrain from pronouncing his surname using its rhyming expletive.

In an interview with the Telegraph on their Brexit podcast, he said he was often called “Jeremy C***” at school.

“I’m used to it. I had this when I was at school. Personally I think people should just grow up and get over the fact that my last name rhymes with a rather unpleasant word,” he said.