BBC presenter Victoria Derbyshire has become the latest media figure to blunder by pronouncing the surname of Tory leadership hopeful Jeremy Hunt as “C***”.
She made the error during an exchange on her own weekday news and current affairs programme during a four-way debate over who should be the next Tory leader.
Derbyshire, 50, said she was especially embarrassed because it was usually men who made the mistake.
Addressing Tory MP Steve Brine, she said: “You say the man you are backing, Jeremy C*** … I’m so sorry, Jeremy Hunt.
“I’ve never said that before in my life. It’s normally men who say that so I really, really want to apologise.”
The BBC’s subtitle service managed to avoid further embarrassment by substituting the word with “EXPLETIVE”.
It is not the first time a BBC presenter has been embarrassed by the Foreign Secretary’s name.
James Naughtie made the error when Mr Hunt was culture secretary, while Justin Webb tripped up when the minister was health and social care secretary.
Mr Hunt, launching his leadership campaign, referenced the blunder as he was asked whether he was a “continuity Theresa May”.
He said: “Anyone who knows what my last name rhymes with will know I’ve been called a whole lot worse on the Today programme, on the BBC and I will be quite different to any of the prime ministers I have served.”