Mortified BBC presenter forced to apologise as c-bomb drops live on air
Listeners were left stunned by the explicit language.
BBC Somerset suffered a major blunder today as the c-bomb was dropped live on air during Simon Parkin’s show, which ran from 10am until 2pm. The "mortifying" moment occurred as a tune was played for listeners, which ended on the highly offensive word, leaving Simon staggered. The BBC star had to quickly issue an apology following the error. He soon said: “Oh, apologies, that was a mistake there.” The song was the Trumpton Fire Brigade roll call, recited by Captain Flack in the 1967 stop-motion series. The tune introduces the six firemen before their adventures. However, the error has been shared on social media, prompting many people to flock to the comment section.
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One user said: “BBC Somerset fail! Don't listen if the C word offends!” A second added: “So many questions. Was it clipped up by a BA? Why didn’t Simon not listen to it first? It wasn’t the voice of Brian Cant so it sounds like a parody, did a youngster who’d never heard of Trumpton just use the first clip they found? Parkin would have been mortified.”
Another added: “I think they played this upload of the theme from YouTube and didn’t listen to it beforehand.”
Meanwhile, a third added: “@MattChorley- BBC Somerset - what’s going on?” A fourth remarked: “Oh, Simon, how could you?” A fifth said: “So that’s what he’s up to these days.” Someone else, who tagged host Simon, said: “I bet that shocked him!”
Simon has not addressed the issue on X despite being tagged in several posts about the blunder.
However, it’s not the first time a swear word has been broadcast before the watershed. Last summer, BBC Radio Derby host Ian Skye was heard screaming, "ahhh, f*****g hell," after he told listeners to message in with any requests.
Issuing an apology, he said: "Can I just say before that amazing song from Kate Bush, you'd have had to be deaf if you didn't hear a rude word.
"I really profusely apologise. You know when something happens, and it's just instinct, and my very, very calm producer just said 'you're still on the radio, Ian'."
