BBC News 24

I was clearing out my caps over the weekend and came across these of Jo Coburn getting ready for a Cameron speech/press conference. It was on Monday (8/5/06) morning, prior to Blair's 'monthly' press briefing.

http://www.artsigloo.co.uk/mtn/images/store/jocoburndance1.jpg http://www.artsigloo.co.uk/mtn/images/store/jocoburndance2.jpg http://www.artsigloo.co.uk/mtn/images/store/jocoburndance3.jpg

Watching it live I could have sworn she was horsing around on the assumption that she was off-air. In fact it looks like she was scratching her bottom in that final picture.

Did anyone else see this or have I got Children In Need on the brain?

A change to the 10 News Hour tonight. Instead of the usual sport, business and papers it's a special with Fiona Bruce & Cherie Blair...

I think they should have something like that featured more often on the Ten Newshour. Sure, still have the sport/business/look at the day's papers but fill in the last 15 minutes with a nightly special report, gives it distinction and would interest viewers more.

Good point, except for the small fact that it has appeared on the front page of the site, and with a version of events which is rather more correct than Sky's - he wasn't a taxi driver after all... now if the shoe had been on the other foot...

News 24 have been trying to make reparation - and turn it into a big joke - by interviewing BOTH men this morning. It's almost more toe-curling.

Guy Coma has just appeared on the ITV lunchtime news where they played the whole interview first and then Alastair Stewart thought it was necessary to pull his leg and claim that he was better at ad-libbing than the BBC News 24 presenter!

Ouch!

Stewart said his friends at the BBC told him Guy Coma had not got the job he applied for, but had instead he would be the new presenter of the 10 O'Clock News "as you are better at ad-libbing than... no, I won't go there." To which Guy looked even more confused than he did on N24!

If this is right, then

Wrong man on N24 interview;
failed attempt at face-saving 'humourous' re-interview on N24;
'humourous' interview on Channel 4 which tries weakly to incorporate Mr Goma in on the joke;
ITV breaking the news of Mr Goma's job rejection live on air, again failing to maintain the humour of the story.

Is there a body Mr Goma can go to having been used as a pinball by the self-interested, back-biting British TV media?

I don't think you can call the News 24 attempt a failure, it wasn't the best interview and there were some problems with understanding and an obvious language issue, but its good that News 24 can own up to this and take the piss out of itself... I think it had to do something as it seemed to be all over the papers and TV.

I very much doubt that it will damage the BBCs reputation or that of News 24s

I agree. I think everyone accepts that this was a daft mistake which didn't have any serious consequences - and people accept mistakes happen. News 24 has been more talked about this week than probably any week in its history, and I think in this case it's probably a 'no publicity's bad publicity' situation.

Yawn !!!

Cock.