It’s been reported that Clive Myrie was removed from presenting BBC Ten O’Clock News because of some jokes he’d made about Boris Johnson during Have I Got News For You.
The journalist was axed from last Friday’s show in a last minute change to schedule because of concerns of content chief Charlotte Moore. She was worried about accusations of Myrie’s anti-Tory bias which had arisen from some jibes he’d come out with while he hosted the BBC comedy show earlier that night.
Myrie, 58, made various jokes about the ex PM during the show, one of which was: “After being found by the House of Commons committee to have lied repeatedly, Boris Johnson takes the opportunity to deny that he’s ever been jogging or has a dog," Myrie said over footage of Boris jogging with his dog.
One source told The Times the issues were not based on one specific joke. The insider said:“ There wasn’t a specific joke which triggered the request.
“It was more to do with concerns that Clive was doing two very different types of programme within an hour of each other. There was possibly a bit of over-caution, which felt a bit over the top to most people in news.”
A BBC executive added: “It didn’t feel right for Clive to go almost straight to the news when he’d just been making jokes. "It was a tonal thing rather than due to anyone being overly anxious."
Gary Lineker became outspoken on social media once again when he heard the news as he said on Twitter: “Oh for crying out loud! If the BBC ask Clive to present Have I Got New For You he'll make political jokes.”
Some 354 MPs voted in favour of the privileges committee's report on Monday night, which said that Boris Johnson should have been suspended from the House of Commons for 90 days if he had not resigned already. It also recommended he is not given an ex-MPs parliamentary pass.
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