The BBC had to apologise to viewers after a guest accidentally swore during a tribute to the late British artist David Hockney. The granddaughter of one of Hockney's muses made a major error live on TV.
BBC Forced to Interrupt Broadcast
The BBC was forced to interrupt its broadcast and apologise to viewers after a guest inadvertently used profanity during a heartfelt tribute to the life of legendary British artist David Hockney. BBC presenter Matthew Amroliwala was compelled to issue an on-air apology after the granddaughter of Hockney's muse candidly relayed the explicit words of wisdom he had once shared with her.
Hockney, widely regarded as one of the most celebrated and influential British artists of the modern era, passed away peacefully at home on June 11 at the age of 88. The Bradford-born painter's death prompted an outpouring of tributes from family, friends and colleagues, with one BBC interview attracting attention for entirely the wrong reasons.
The Slip-Up
Scarlett Clark, granddaughter of one of the late artist's muses, unwittingly let slip a profanity during an affectionate tribute to the iconic British painter on the evening of June 12. The unintentional slip occurred after Amroliwala asked what advice the great artist gave her. This prompted the immediate reply: 'Well, I mean, I mean the same thing, really. I mean, he just said to enjoy and paint what you love, and, yeah, just f*** everyone.'
Scarlett swiftly acknowledged her blunder and offered her apologies, as the BBC promptly apologised before steering the conversation elsewhere. Amroliwala said: 'Sorry, apologies for that. Let's talk about another thing that you mentioned there, which was just his sense of humour.' The interview continued without further disruption, but as Amroliwala offered a further apology to close the segment, Scarlett could be heard once more expressing remorse for her blunder.
Viewer Reactions
The incident provoked a considerable reaction amongst viewers and, despite the on-air profanity, many felt the late artist would have thoroughly relished hearing his advice expressed so candidly. One social media user wrote: 'TV gold! David Hockney would've loved this.' Another commented: 'Because no one in the UK swears. Some truth, at last, on the BBC - via David Hockney.' A third added: 'Hilarious moment in memories of the great David Hockney - and I sense this entire BBC scene would have entertained him enormously.'
BBC's Response
In response to the gaffe, a BBC spokesperson stated: 'Matthew apologised immediately to viewers for any offence caused.' Yet this was not the corporation's sole blunder concerning Hockney that day. The BBC erroneously displayed the caption 'David Hockney resigns' during a lunchtime bulletin following the announcement of the artist's passing, and subsequently apologised for the mistake.
