BBC News viewers were left worried the show had been targeted by hackers after an scathing insult about Manchester United appeared on the on screen ticker, as well as an abrupt weather forecast.
Everything was going to plan on the rolling news channel when Lydia Campbell was commentating on tennis coverage from Paris, until the insult about United flashed up on screen and stayed there for a few seconds. It read 'Manchester United are rubbish.' After the statement baffled and amused those watching in equal measure, things that took another turn when a weather forecast declaring: 'Weather rain everywhere' followed it on screen moments later.
As Lydia was signing off her report from Paris, Twitter was awash with comments about what people had just seen, with many assuming that someone had hijacked the live feed, with others speculating someone was having some fun on their last day at the BBC. One Twitter user joked: "BBC News ticker went in HARD this morning," next to a clip of the Man United insult.
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A second reacted: "Cold from the BBC News ticker," while many others were left seeking answers on just what was going on behind the scenes". The rather alarming error was then addressed on air by a BBC presenter who apologised to viewers.
Speaking live on air, she said: "You may have noticed something pretty unusual going on with the ticket that runs along the screen with news, making a comment about Manchester United. And I hope that Manchester United fans weren't offended. Let me just explain what is happening...behind the scenes someone was training to user the ticker and how to put text on.."
She added: "so they were just writing random things and not in earnest. So that comment appeared, apologies if you saw that."
Reacting to the apology, one viewer tweeted: "Today in continuity: BBC News accidentally broadcasts test material from a new person being trained to use the ticker. This has made my day. With apologies to Man United fans..."
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