BBC World Affairs Editor John Simpson, 82, was caught on a hot mic asking BBC News presenter Geeta Guru-Murthy for a "kiss" after celebrating 60 years with the broadcaster — with both thinking the cameras were off, but viewers were quick to react on social media.
The incident occurred following an interview marking Simpson's six-decade stint at the BBC, when Guru-Murthy told him: "Thank you very much, that was really lovely." Off-camera, he could then be heard asking her: "I couldn't, I suppose, have a kiss?".
Hot Mic Moment Caught on Camera
Guru-Murthy responded with a smile, saying: "Oh, yes!" before moving towards him, with kissing sounds ensuing as Simpson repeated: "Thank you so much. Really lovely."
Upon realising the cameras were still rolling as she returned to her seat, a blushing Guru-Murthy said: "Oh, sorry, sorry! We are still on air! Sorry, I hadn't realised that. This is BBC News."
Social Media Reaction
Viewers who witnessed the awkward moment took to social media to share their reactions, with one tweeting: "John Simpson caught live on BBC asking Geeta Guru-Murthy for a kiss, thinking the cameras were off. They weren't."
Another wrote: "An 82-year-old senior BBC journalist casually asking a younger female colleague for a kiss the second he thinks no one's watching. This is the organisation that lectures the rest of the country on standards and behaviour."
Simpson's Career and Past Controversy
Simpson, who joined the BBC as a reporter in 1970, famously received a punch to the stomach from former prime minister Harold Wilson when Simpson queried if he was about to announce a general election. He has also previously commented on BBC World Service's Slovak director Terezia Javorska, who allegedly passed intelligence to the Czechs for years, insisting she must have been coerced into doing so under threat of harm to her family.
He said she "genuinely loved" Britain, admitting: "To me, she was a victim of a clever, manipulative intelligence organisation, and of her own weakness. But maybe, of course, I'm still swayed by my affection for her." Simpson said their two-year romance "ended years before she became a spy", and he "didn't meet her again".
The BBC declined to comment when approached by Express.co.uk.
