Clive Myrie left 'shaken' after death threats and racist abuse ahead of fronting election

Mastermind host Clive Myrie has been left "shaken" after receiving death threats which involved "talking about the kind of bullet that he'd use in the gun" to kill him. The broadcaster said he's received more racial hatred since becoming a more prominent and "visible" presenter over the years, which has seen him replace John Humphrys on Mastermind as well as Huw Edwards on the upcoming BBC's election night coverage.

Clive, 59, will front the programmes alongside Sunday morning political show presenter Laura Kuenssberg, a move he said has come with "a lot of pressure". While many have praised the BBC's latest decisions on giving Clive more roles, the 59-year-old has admitted not everyone has been welcoming, with some even go as far as sending him death threats and racist messages.

In conversation with Lauren Laverne on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs, Clive said such sickening messages have included faeces and "cards in the post with gorillas on", as well as emails which read: "You shouldn't be on our TV, you dress like a pimp".

One culprit, who sent the presenter death threats which involved talking about the kind of bullet that he'd use in the gun to kill him with, has since been tracked down and prosecuted. He said of the incident: "I was shaken for a while after I'd been told. I thought it's just someone showboating. It's just bravado.

"And then they tracked down this character, and it turned out that he had previous convictions for firearms offences. So (I) thought, 'Oh my God, what, if anything, might this person have been planning?'." Born in Bolton, Clive studied Law at the University of Sussex before securing a place on the BBC's journalism trainee scheme in 1988.

While branching out into his successful career, the broadcaster admitted he "didn't want to be seen as a black journalist", but instead "a journalist who just happens to be black." Elaborating on his thoughts, he added: "I didn't want the BBC to fall into lazy thinking, which was so easy at the time.

"Notting Hill Carnival - send the black guy, riot out on the street in some inner city area - send the black guy. I didn't want that I wanted to do those stories.

"I didn't want my colour to define who I am, and the BBC understood that."

Having been one of the corporation's chief news presenters and correspondents for many years, he secured a new role back in 2021 as the host of Mastermind.

Clive, who replaced John Humphrys after his 18-year reign, said of the stint: "They are big shoes to fill but all I can do is bring a little bit of my own personality to what is a grounded format.

"That [news reading] side of me is still very much there, but it's good to be able to be liberated every now and again when I do Mastermind."

Myrie is now set to co-anchor the BBC's election night coverage for the first time.

Along with Laura and BBC political editor Chris Mason, the trio will head an array of BBC expert talent to host the general election night TV coverage on BBC network news.

Expressing his feelings ahead of the gig, the presenter said he had "wonderful nervous energy" but was feeling the "pressure".

He added: "I've never presented an election programme in the UK before. I'm getting my head around a lot of statistics.

"But you know, we want to try and make it fun too; it is not just going to be a night for geeks. I hope it's not just a night for political geeks.

"I want people to be able to tune in and get a sense of where this country is going and the buzz of being on the front line."

Clive went on to say that the adrenaline rush of the July 4 election will keep him up until the "wee small hours" of the morning.