Jon Kay was forced to apologise after interrupting an interview with Southport MP Patrick Hurley on Tuesday's (21 January) edition of BBC Breakfast. The pair were discussing the Southport attacks of July 2024 ahead of Prime Minister Keir Starmer's live speech from Downing Street, scheduled for 8:30 a.m.
Kay had warned his guest: "Apologies if we break away from the interview. We're just expecting to go live to Downing Street to hear from the Prime Minister in a moment." Despite the pre-warning, the switch was abrupt, with co-presenter Sally Nugent stepping in to redirect the programme, stating: "Patrick Hurley and we are going straight to Downing Street to the Prime Minister."
The broadcast featured Sir Keir Starmer following the public inquiry into the Southport murders, after Axel Rudakubana pleaded guilty on Monday (20 January) to the killings of Bebe King, Elsie Dot Stancombe, and Alice da Silva Aguiar during a dance class on 29 July 2024. Rudakubana admitted 16 charges, including attempted murders of eight children and two adults, possession of a knife, producing ricin, and possession of an al-Qaeda training manual.
During his speech, the Prime Minister called the attack a "devastating moment in our history" and declared: "The tragedy of the Southport killings must be a line in the sand for Britain. We must ensure that the names of those three young girls are not associated with the vile perpetrator, but instead with a fundamental shift in how Britain safeguards its citizens and its children."
