‘There’s no pretending it’s anything other than embarrassing and disappointing’
Laura Kuenssberg has cancelled an interview with Boris Johnson after she accidentally sent him her briefing notes.
The former BBC political editor, who now hosts the broadcaster’s Sunday morning politics show, was due to interview Johnson in what would have been his first major interview since he left office.
The interview was scheduled to be broadcast on Thursday evening on BBC One.
However, the interview has now been pulled after Kuenssberg sent him her briefing notes by mistake.
In a post on X, the journalist wrote: “While prepping to interview Boris Johnson tomorrow, by mistake I sent our briefing notes to him in a message meant for my team.
“That obviously means it’s not right for the interview to go ahead. It’s very frustrating, and there’s no point pretending it’s anything other than embarrassing and disappointing, as there are plenty of important questions to be asked.
“But red faces aside, honesty is the best policy. See you on Sunday.”
A number of broadcasters have offered to carry out the interview instead.
Writing on X, former Labour directord of communications Alastair Campbell said: “Hey @BorisJohnson I hear you have a spare hour in your diary today thanks to @bbclaurak mis-send of research notes. Rarely @RoryStewartUK and I are both in London today and would love to have you as a guest on @RestIsPolitics LEADING.”
Meanwhile, Channel 4 News presenter Cathy Newman wrote: “He’s welcome to come on Channel 4 News instead!”
Her colleague Krishnan Guru-Murty and former Sky political editor Adam Boulton both also volunteered to interview Johnson in Kuenssberg’s place.
Meanwhile, many have asked why the BBC can’t just reschedule the interview and get another of its journalists to step in for Kuenssberg.
Sunder Katwala, the director of the thinktank British Future asked: “Shouldn’t the BBC just get somebody else to do the interview on Friday or next week?”
A BBC spokesperson was reported as saying Kuenssberg’s error had made the interview “untenable” and that both the BBC and Johnson’s team had agreed to cancel it.
Johnson has not yet commented on the cancellation. The interview was expected to see the former prime minister answer questions about Brexit, his government’s handling of the Covid pandemic and the Partygate scandal.
