The BBC has received more than 150 complaints after Kay Burley told a survivor of Jeffrey Epstein that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is a 'war hero'. A complaints report published by the broadcaster revealed that 160 people felt it was 'insensitive for Kay Burley to refer to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor as a "war hero".' It occurred during an episode of Newsnight on July 6, hosted by Victoria Derbyshire.
Context of the remark
The presenter's comment came after Epstein survivor Lisa Phillips urged other victims of the disgraced financier to come forward, before UK victims minister Alex Davies-Jones echoed this sentiment. Phillips said: 'What I would love is for my survivor sisters here to get in touch with me on my website.'
Davies-Jones added: 'Likewise. Anyone can come forward – we already have had, as a result of us speaking out, survivors coming forward and claiming that they were also victims of Epstein, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, and Ghislaine Maxwell. So please, we would encourage anyone, if you’ve got any information, to come forward to us.'
Burley's intervention
Derbyshire then asked whether those who had come forward were British, with Labour minister Davies-Jones confirming that they were. Burley then interjected: 'And we should accept that he was a war hero. We should just throw that in.' When Davies-Jones rolled her eyes and Phillips shook her head, the former Sky News host doubled down on her claims, adding: 'He was.'
Public backlash
Her remarks sparked widespread outrage, with one writing on X: 'You owe a huge apology Kay Burley. Completely disgusting that you felt the need to say this.' Another said: 'My jaw dropped open watching Kay Burley on Newsnight add "we should remember he’s a war hero" at the end of a piece about Andrew, with Epstein survivors. Incredible. How about adding "and Savile did a lot for charity"?'
Andrew, 66, was friends with Epstein for years, but has always denied any accusations or wrongdoing associated with the late sex offender. Epstein was convicted of soliciting prostitution from a minor and soliciting prostitution in 2008 and served 13 months of his 18-month sentence before being released in July 2009. Epstein's most prominent accuser, Virginia Giuffre, alleged that the businessman forced her to have sex with the former Duke of York three times when she was 17 – in New York, London, and the US Virgin Islands. Andrew has repeatedly and vehemently denied the claims.
