BBC Radio 5 Live presenter Nicky Campbell has apologised to colleagues after using a homophobic slur during a work meeting. The 65-year-old broadcaster, who has been with the BBC for nearly four decades, allegedly used the word 'po***er' while quoting someone in an anecdote, leaving several staff members hurt and angry.
Incident Details and Apology
The incident occurred during a meeting attended by around six producers and editors. According to a BBC statement to the Daily Star, Campbell "was recounting an incident where someone had used the offensive term" and "as soon as he was aware that some people had been offended by the language used, he apologised to all of the team face to face in a meeting shortly afterwards."
A BBC source told the Mail: "At the time, about half the people were saying, 'What the f***', but others were laughing about it. But there's been a growing backlash since then. There are people who could be really offended by the comment."
Campbell's Career and Previous Apology
Nicky Campbell is a Scottish broadcaster, journalist and author who began his career in commercial radio before joining BBC Radio 1 in the late 1980s. He moved to BBC Radio 5 Live when it launched in 1994 and spent almost 20 years co-presenting the station's Breakfast programme. In 2009, he was forced to apologise on air after calling political blogger Nick Staines a fascist live on the radio. At the time, Campbell said: "We had a live exchange on air during which time I jokingly said something silly for which I immediately and unreservedly apologised."
