BBC News has been forced to issue an on air apology after viewers noticed the words ‘Manchester United are rubbish’ appear on the live feed.
It’s certainly not something you see every day, but earlier on this afternoon, as thousands of people right across the UK tuned in to watch the 24-hour BBC News channel, an unusual update was posted on the live news ticker while the presenter was running through the highlights and talking points from the ongoing Roland Garros tennis tournament in Paris.
Hidden among the actual news headlines of the day were the hard-hitting words “Manchester United are rubbish”.
“Weather rain everywhere,” was another one of the odd updates.
Given that these followed updates from legitimate news stories such as the rising tensions with the Partygate scandal and the Sue Gray report, many viewers just presumed that their eyes must have been deceiving them and went over to BBC iPlayer to watch it again.
ADVERTISEMENT
Others took to social media to check if anyone else had seen it too.
In what is a now-viral tweet that has racked up thousands of likes and retweets, TV critic and broadcaster Scott Bryan said: “Errrr… what is going on with the BBC News ticker?”
Other rival football fans understandably “couldn’t believe their eyes”, and took to social media to poke as much fun at the situation as they possibly could.
One person tweeted: “And people say the BBC don’t present factual news anymore”, while another added: “Even BBC News know how bad Manchester United are”, and a third hilariously said: “Legendary. That would go straight onto my CV and website if it was my ‘mistake’.”
“I’m a United fan and it gave me a good laugh. We have indeed been rubbish, BBC News,” another conceded.
ADVERTISEMENT
After word of the mishap clearly got out and began to spread online, the BBC then made an on air apology to any Manchester United fans they may have “offended”.
The BBC News presenter said: “Just while we’re on the subject of football, a little earlier, some of you may have noticed something pretty unusual on the ticker, that runs along the bottom of the screen with news, making a comment about Manchester United.
“I hope that Manchester United fans weren’t offended by it, let me just explain what was happening.”
UPDATE: BBC News have apologised.
They say that a trainee was learning how to write text for the ticker and accidentally published them onto the BBC News Channel. pic.twitter.com/OkjPIkJAoo
BBC News blamed the error on a trainee, who was “learning to use” the feature.
The news presenter continued: “Behind the scenes, someone was training how to use the ticker and how to put text on the ticker. They were just writing random things, not in earnest, that comment appeared.
ADVERTISEMENT
“So apologies if you saw that and you were offended and you are a fan of Manchester United.
“But certainly, that was a mistake and it wasn’t meant to be on the screen, that was what happened.
“We just thought we better explain that to you.”
Featured Image – BBC News
Trending
Sir Ian McKellen pays emotional tribute to long-time friend and fellow northern actor Sir Patrick Stewart
Emily Sergeant
Sir Ian McKellen has paid an emotional tribute to his long-time friend and fellow northern actor, Sir Patrick Stewart, following his death.
Sir Patrick Stewart – who was born and bred in Mirfield, West Yorkshire, and is best-known for his theatre work alongside an illustrious 60-year screen career, taking on prominent roles in franchises such as Star Trek and X-Men – sadly passed away at the age of 86, with his death being announced publicly yesterday evening (29 October).
And now, his long-time friend and fellow northern actor, Sir Ian McKellen, has paid tribute.
Sir Patrick and Sir Ian shared the stage together countless times over their decades-long careers, but also famously starred alongside each other in the X-Men franchise, and subsequent Marvel movies, as Charles Xavier/Professor X and Magneto.
The tribute, shared across Sir Ian’s social media platforms, reads: “Before everything else, Patrick was defined by being born and bred in Yorkshire, the proud county in the north of England which he loved to the end. You could hear it in his accented voice and in the stern honesty with which he told you what he thought and felt. Yorkshiremen have no truck with half-truths or avoidance of big issues. He wore his heart on his sleeve, which made him a man to rely on, to admire and in my case, love.
“We first met as ambitious young actors with the Royal Shakespeare Company half a century ago but we weren’t in the same productions.
“My first strong memory was a few years later, meeting him in the street in central London when he told me about an offer to take over a leading part in ‘Star Trek’. “But Patrick think of your stage career in the UK. Do you really want to risk getting lost in Hollywood for years and years?”
“Well, he took the risk and thank goodness for us all that he did, for not just his devoted Trekkies, but film and theatre audiences who marvelled at his using international celebrity to star in a string of cinema successes (‘X-Men’ of course) and in great classical plays by Shakespeare, Ibsen, Arthur Miller, Peter Shaffer, Pinter and Beckett at Stratford-upon-Avon, in London’s West End and on Broadway.
“America was his adopted home, where he met his adored Sunny who has cared for him through sickness and health, through thick and thin.
“But he never forsook his origins: and the proudest achievement of the most respected and beloved actor of his generation on either side of the Atlantic, was his appointment as Chancellor of Huddersfield University in Yorkshire.”
Sir Patrick Stewart’s farewell performance will be in Avengers: Doomsday, which is being released in UK cinemas on 18 December 2026
Featured Image – Gage Skidmore (via Flickr)
Trending
Classic FM will be back playing calming music for anxious pets this Bonfire Night
Emily Sergeant
Classic FM will be back playing calming music for anxious pets during this year’s fireworks season.
Bonfire Night may be loved by us humans for the spectacular firework displays and all the festive-themed activities that come along with it… but sadly, the November holiday isn’t quite so fun for our four-legged friends.
Loud bangs, flashing lights, and unpleasant strong smell of spent explosives are just some of the reasons why fireworks are frightening to pets.
Not only that, but with multiple bangs occurring from numerous displays across this time of year, pets are rarely able to pinpoint when and where the booming explosions are coming from, therefore creating even more anxiety around this time of year.
Classic FM will play calming music for anxious pets during this year’s fireworks / Credit: DESIGNECOLOGIST (via Unsplash)
Which is why, for the ninth year running now, Classic FM is once again teaming up with the RSPCA for two Pet Classics programmes packed with ‘the most soothing and comforting classical music’.
The music has been handpicked to help calm and settle any anxious pets.
A survey by the RSPCA revealed that almost two-thirds (63%) of animal owners reported their pet was distressed during fireworks season, and that playing relaxing music was the most common way (36%) to help calm or prepare their animal.
Presenters Dan Walker, Aled Jones, and Dawn O’Porter will each host a night of the specially created programme to help keep the nation’s pets calm through the whizzes and bangs.
Dan will present the first programme on Bonfire Night itself (Thursday 5 November), and then as celebrations continue throughout the weekend, Aled will be on hand to bring some peace to Friday 6 November, and Dawn picks up the baton on Saturday 7 November.
Emily Sergeant -
24th May 2022 
