BBC Breakfast found itself at the centre of a social media storm on Tuesday morning after eagle-eyed viewers spotted a glaring spelling mistake during a segment about one of Britain's most celebrated authors.
A Costly Typo During a Literary Tribute
Presenters Sally Nugent and Jon Kay were guiding viewers through the day's features on the December 16 broadcast, which included a special item marking 250 years since the birth of Jane Austen. As they introduced the upcoming tribute, footage from the BBC's adaptation of Pride and Prejudice played. However, the on-screen text that flashed up contained a significant error, misspelling the novelist's surname as 'Austin' instead of the correct 'Austen'.
Unaware of the production error, Sally Nugent proceeded to quote the famous opening line of Pride and Prejudice, stating: "It is a truth universally acknowledged that Jane Austen stories still grab readers and viewers more than two centuries after she lived. We will be celebrating her 250th birthday."
Swift Backlash from Disappointed Viewers
The mistake did not go unnoticed for long. Within minutes, social media platform X was flooded with comments from disappointed and astonished viewers. Many expressed disbelief that the national broadcaster could err on the name of such an iconic literary figure.
One user posted: "#bbcbreakfast Austin? Really #bbc? Howay, even I know it's AUSTEN." Another criticised perceived declining standards, commenting: "It's so easy to say that standards at the BBC have slipped... #BBCBreakfast." The error also prompted jokes, with one viewer asking: "Jane who? @BBCBreakfast #bbcbreakfast", while another summed up the frustration: "Oh look, it's just our national broadcaster unable to spell the name of one of our most famous authors."
Correction and Context from the BBC Studio
The BBC team appeared to catch the blunder, as the graphic was corrected to read 'Jane Austen' when it reappeared later in the programme. The incident occurred during a week when the show had already delivered emotionally charged content.
Just a day earlier, presenter Sally Nugent had been visibly moved during a powerful interview with Olympic legend Sir Chris Hoy. Sir Chris, who revealed in 2024 that his prostate cancer diagnosis was terminal, appeared with his wife Sarra to discuss their documentary, Sir Chris Hoy: Cancer, Courage and Me. Nugent described the film as "one of the most inspirational stories I have ever worked on."
While the spelling mistake was a fleeting on-air error, it sparked a significant conversation about attention to detail at the broadcaster. BBC Breakfast is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
