The BBC has been forced to apologise after an off-air comment suggesting Keith Chegwin “probably died from too much smoking” was accidentally broadcast during a live tribute to the late entertainer.
Chegwin, 60, passed away in the early hours of today following a long battle with a progressive lung condition. Tributes poured in from stars including Frank Bruno and Bobby Davro.
During a planned interview with former colleague John Craven on the BBC News channel, presenter Martine Coxall was unable to reach him and cut to a weather forecast. As the report began, a man’s voice was heard saying: “Too much smoking probably.”
Viewers quickly voiced their outrage on social media. One wrote: “A tragic report that Keith Chegwin has sadly passed away from ongoing lung issues, only to hear a big gaffe as someone can be heard saying ‘Too much smoking probably’. Shame on you.” Another added: “Did I just hear ‘too much smoking probably’ on BBC News from one of your producers when referring to Keith Chegwin? Bad taste.”
A BBC spokesman told MailOnline: “During a live interview the studio had a sound issue with a guest which resulted in an off-air audio being inadvertently broadcast and it was quickly rectified.”
