I expect BBC One's aim was to get over to the BBC News Channel ASAP rather than keep presentation fans happy.
Yes, I've no idea how much of a surprise it was but interrupting the programme would have been a very last minute decision. Imagine the fuss if they'd gone to Zuma at the start of the presser only to find it's just a report on his health.
They will have had someone shouting at them to cut to the news and get it on air as soon as possible. No time for waiting till news can introduce it properly or split studios or any of that nonsense
BBC Two preceded Question Time with an announcement that the news would be continuing on BBC One, that Snooker Highlights would be on afterwards, and that Question Time was recorded before the announcement of the news.
I expect BBC One's aim was to get over to the BBC News Channel ASAP rather than keep presentation fans happy.
It is kind of one of the reasons though why I've never been a fan of the BBC relying on switching to the news channel for breaking news. It seems now the "network news" as such isn't actually able to break a story without linking up to the news channel, even minutes before a scheduled bulletin. I've always said that for a story on the scale such as this is should be the news channel joining the main news team, not the other way round.
The backdrop behind Jon and Kasia is ghastly. Also the daytime backdrop in Johannesburg looks all wrong at 02:05 local time. Two daytime backdrops at midnight just doesn't sit right with me.
That BBC One handover was odd and a bit bad at the same time.
Ironic that they left Mrs Brown during the famous 'tin tray' scene that was a feature of the Christmas promos last year, that will become one of those famous clips, and secondly the announcement into the coverage was a) too upbeat, almost as if it was scheduled and b) strange for mentioning President Zuma by name where at that point even the most well read would have wondered who that was for a moment.
"This is BBC One where we interupt this programme to join the BBC News Channel" would have been better.
Or even simpler - "This is BBC One. We interrupt this programme to join BBC News."