Veteran BBC presenter Hazel Irvine was compelled to offer a live, on-air apology to snooker legend Dennis Taylor after an embarrassing mistake during the coverage of The Masters on Monday.
The On-Air Slip-Up
The incident occurred during the first-round match analysis of the prestigious tournament at Alexandra Palace. Irvine, a long-standing fixture of the BBC's snooker broadcasting team, mistakenly stated that Mark Allen was only the second Northern Irish player to have won the Masters title.
This comment overlooked the achievements of her BBC colleague, Dennis Taylor, who famously claimed the trophy back in 1987. The error was quickly pointed out to Irvine through her earpiece, prompting an immediate correction.
Swift Apology and Studio Banter
"Mark Allen, the third player, I am corrected, to win the Masters," Irvine stated, addressing the mistake. "How could I forget about Dennis Taylor? Sorry DT. Apologies."
Her fellow pundits in the studio, Stephen Hendry and John Parrott, reacted with playful mock horror, letting out exaggerated "oooooh" sounds. As Irvine laughed and remarked, "I am in the bad books now!", Parrott jokingly envisioned Taylor's response.
"[Taylor's] rich tea biscuit all over his television! I'm telling you, he's chucked it!" Parrott quipped. In a bid to make amends, Irvine promised, "I'll buy you [Taylor] a drink in Sheffield then," referencing the venue for the World Championship.
Match Context and Allen's Victory
The presenting team had been analysing the clash between 2018 champion Mark Allen and two-time winner Mark Williams. World number 10 Allen staged an impressive comeback from 2-1 down, winning five consecutive frames to secure a 6-2 victory and a place in the quarter-finals.
Following the win, Allen revealed he had been battling illness in the lead-up to the tournament. "I was lying in bed all week with food poisoning," he admitted. "I thought to just go out and give it my best... I just may have needed to wear a nappy for TV. It wasn't a good week!"
Despite his health struggles, 'The Pistol' praised the Alexandra Palace venue, calling it "the best place we play all year" and highlighting the unparalleled atmosphere. He now progresses to face either world number one Judd Trump or 2011 champion Ding Junhui.
