Listen to Jim 'Dr Spooner' Naughtie calling Jeremy Hunt a "c*nt" live on Radio 4

Jeremy Hunt took the gaffe in good humour:

Comments

[Elaine Turner]

You should have included the bit after the 8o'clock pips when he struggled to get the headlines out because he was giggling! And the bit where he apologised directly to Jeremy Hunt.

[Super Blue]

I have just heard Andrew Marr, discussing the incident with a psychologist, repeat it!

[martin sewell]

I worked in an office at the time when the fashion for flat top haircuts co-incided with a particular advertisement for Tefal frying pans which played on the premise that their product was created by men with unusual shaped heads because of the their enlarged brains.

Office badinage resulted, and the client was always spoken off with reference to the ad. All very low key until the client was given the cheery
greeting "Hello Mr Tefal".

I think we ought not to be too generous in letting Mr Naughtie off the hook with a claim of spoonerisim. We can at least ask if the BBC management has satisfied itself that the generally anti- Government culture within its news and current affairs output was not the prime reason for this "mistake".

[Tom Greeves]

What sort of prissy loser would complain about this incident? It was splendidly funny, and obviously a mistake.

Events like this add to the gaiety of nations.

[Martin Marprelate- A Man in the Street!]

I laughed like a drain! No doubt an unfortunate frog in his throat to blame but I thought a very amusing and appropriate freudian slip. It cheered me up on a cold Monday morning and quite made my day!

[Peter Stroud]

I heard Naughtie's slip and really thought my ears were playing tricks. But what made it more hilarious was the real or contived coughing fit that followed. One of these slips per day would brighten up all of our mornings!

[Dave Atherton]

Naughtie is not too far from the truth from an English language point of view. In this country we refer to people as 'Berks,' a Berk comes from cockney rhyming slang 'Berkshire Hunt.' East London immortality awaits Jeremy.

[Patsy Sergeant]

And Mr. Naughtie is a cherry! I think that is the word I heard used over the weekend! No doubt there is an Anglo-Saxon definition of that as well!

[Dave Atherton]

Just received this Tweet.

David Schneider
by guidofawkes

Bloody hell. Andrew Marr just done a C-word now. It's contagious. Radio Fourettes

[Margarite Dupont]

I am simply disgusted! What exactly is happening to my country? I do not expect to hear such language at 8am in the morning! The BBC must launch an immediate investiation and suspend Mr Naughty immediatley!

[Martin Marprelate- A Man in the Street!]

Au contraire Madame Dupont! I do not often agree with his politics nor his abrasive manner of interviewing people but this really gave me a laugh and made me smile! Perhaps he ought to be on "Mock the Week", "QI" or "Have I got News for You" ?

[Victor Southern]

I am not impressed by yet another assault on common decency and good manners. We are becoming a nation of chavs. The "slip" was neither clever nor original. I suppose someone with the surname Naughtie was teased for all of his school life.

[john]

struggle to believe it was an 'accident'

[abelard]

This clearly was intentional.. Time for a crackdown on the BBC methinks.. And for those that say it was 'funny'.. There is NOTHING amusing about subjecting children to such disgusting profanities

[It doesn't add up...]

Message for the BBC:

You're not the Messiah - You're a very Naughtie boy.

[MartinW]

Doubtless it was a 'slip' on this occasion, but I imagine there is more to it. One may assume that Naughtie (and probably other like-minded BBC-Guardian types) have used this appellation for Jeremy Hunt so frequently that it has become a habit and ingrained. It seems certain that its appalling use on air was simply because Naughtie was so used to using the word. There is no excuse for it, nor for laughter, and he should be severely sanctioned (but will not be, of course, by a supine management). Marr is even more culpable. He, especially, had no need to refer to the matter at all.

[Joe De Mocritus]

Reminds me of the practical joke that used to be played on the young female office junior on the first day in the job back in the days when offices had Tanoy PA systems. The young lady would be asked to urgently get on the Tanoy say that "Mr (manager name) would like to see Mike Hunt". This would be followed by howls of laughter throughout the office building.

[Joe De Mocritus]

"There is NOTHING amusing about subjecting children to such disgusting profanities"

Never been in a school playground at break then.

[will]

http://www.youtube.com/user/willmarcombe#p/u/0/PdyW9AfVSvE

[Paul McKeown]

I'm not a Conservative and have never voted for the Conservatives. Nevertheless, I take great exception to Jim Naughtie's attempt at humour and his cowardice in denying that he meant to say what he did. A professional broadcaster does not make the mistake that Naughtie made simply by accident: it was profanity aforethought for political ends. Jeremy Hunt has not had a flawless start to his Ministry, who can forget his Hillsborough gaffe after all, but that does not justify Naughtie making his personal views public. He works under the legal requirement of political neutrality: the BBC should suspend him pending disciplinary action. Cameron should make clear in private to the governors and senior management of the BBC that there will be change imposed on it, unless the BBC showed itself capable of abiding by the law. Cameron might like to liberally lard his reading of the riot act with that particular c-word. Labour, in any case, should distance themselves from this disgraceful lapse by the public broadcaster.

[Bedd Gelert]

Couldn't Jeremy just change his name to 'C*nt' and simplify matters for all concerned ??

And to Paul McKeown who thinks this was 'profanity aforethought' - Get a life, sonny..

[Paul McKeown]

To Beddgelert, get a coffin grandad.

[Martin Marprelate- A Man in the Street!]

Beddgelert, I totally agree with you on this! I am still laughing 10 hours later from having heard it live. All the people I have mentioned it to think it highly amusing. There are many aspects to James Naughtie that I could complain about but this event is NOT one of them! To Joe de Mocritus, I too have heard this one. I am also reminded of the limerick which starts "There as a young lady from Bude..." and I first heard that recited by a Vicar who at the time was quite a few over the eight!

[Dual Citizen]

Was it funny? Yes it was, I read about it on Guido, and listened to the compilation (actual clip and then Naughtie's half and not exactly unreserved apology).

Should Naughtie be sanctioned? Yes absolutely. He's a highly paid and (supposedly) highly regarded presenter who simply shouldn't stoop this low. People of similar stature in the US have been fired for less (Juan Williams, NPR). The fact that Marr repeated it an hour or two later makes it look highly suspicious. He should be sanctioned too.

It looks like Jeremy Hunt has taken it in good humour; perhaps too generously for his own good.

[jack c]

It was funny. The only thing funnier is the idea that it was part of the BBC Marxist masterplan as some commenters seem to be suggesting. And to the people who think he should be sanctioned/fired - get a sense of humour (and dare I say, a life?)