BBC Radio 4 presenter Justin Webb was taken off air after appearing to struggle with his throat during a live broadcast of the Today programme. Listeners heard Webb, 65, sound strained as he introduced the day's headlines, prompting co-presenter Anna Foster to step in.
On-air struggle and light-hearted moment
After Foster opened the show, Webb said 'excuse me' as he cleared his throat, but continued to present, briefly discussing Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's legal case against the police. Foster then took over for several seconds, reading headlines about coffee drinking habits before joking that Webb might need 'something a little more warming than that this morning,' which drew a laugh from both presenters.
Webb managed to introduce Simon King's weather forecast, discuss the Daily Mirror headlines, and question BBC News journalist Simon Atkinson about OpenAI's breach of Australian government websites earlier this year.
Foster explains Webb's break
At 6.40am, Foster revealed that Webb, who was at the Conservative Party conference, would take a short break. She said: 'It is 20 to seven now. Jonny Dymond is here, good morning. Important to say, if you've heard Justin's voice this morning, he's at the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham. He's struggling a bit with his throat, so we're saving him. We're saving him for that. And Johnny, you're here with me to continue with everything.'
Dymond, the BBC's royal correspondent, replied: 'Poor man has the conference lurgi that sweeps around these places every year.'
Listener reactions and Webb's background
Fans reacted to Webb's noticeably different voice on social media, with one saying someone should get him a 'lorry of Lemsip please,' while another offered to 'chip in a tenner to get him a pack of Lemsip.' Millions of listeners have become accustomed to hearing Webb's voice as part of their morning routine.
Webb, a father of three, presented BBC One's Breakfast News before moving to co-host the Today programme in August 2009.
