Channel 4 presenter Krishnan Guru-Murthy suspended after being caught swearing at Tory minister Steve Baker
20 October 2022, 17:28 | Updated: 20 October 2022, 18:01
Channel 4 News presenter Krishnan Guru-Murthy suspended for a week after being caught swearing at Conservative minister Steve Baker.
The journalist, who was broadcasting from Downing Street, was heard saying "what a c**t" as the minister walked away in an off-air moment.
Guru-Murthy later tweeted that after a "robust interview" with Baker, he had "used a very offensive word in an unguarded moment off air".
The newsreader added: "While it was not broadcast, that word in any context is beneath the standards I set myself and I apologise unreservedly.
"I have reached out to Steve Baker to say sorry."
Read more: Penny Mordaunt, Rishi Sunak or Boris Johnson: Who could replace Liz Truss?
Explaining its decision to take Guru-Murthy off air, Channel 4 said it has a "strict code of conduct for all its employees, including its programming teams and on-air presenters, and takes any breaches seriously", adding: "Following an off-air incident, Channel 4 News anchor Krishnan Guru-Murthy has been taken off air for a week."
As he had already booked a week of leave, the presenter will not be back on air before November 4.
Steve Baker later said in a radio interview that sacking Guru-Murthy would be a "service to the public" if he was found to be in breach of his code of conduct.
He added: "I had an interview earlier with a journalist I don't have a great deal of regard for who I felt was misrepresenting the situation through the construction of his question, which I called out.
"And he clearly didn't like that, quite right, too. But I'd be quite honest, I spent a long time live on air, calling him out on his conduct as a journalist and glad to do so any time.
"But it's most unfortunate that he's sworn like that. If it's in breach of his code of conduct, I do hope they sack him - it would be a service to the public."
Baker later replied to Guru-Murthy's tweet, thanking him and saying he "appreciated" the gesture.
