Kay Burley has been called out for defending Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor while sitting next to a Jeffrey Epstein survivor in a BBC Newsnight segment.
The former Sky News presenter was blasted for her “disgusting” remark highlighting that he was a “war hero” - seconds after survivor Lisa Phillips urged other victims to come forward.
Burley, 65, was sitting with Phillips, MP Alex Davies-Jones, minister for victims, and presenter Victoria Derbyshire during the broadcast.
Phillips told viewers: “What I would love is for my survivor sisters here to get in touch with me on my website.”
Davies-Jones agreed: “Likewise. Anyone can come forward – we already have had, as a result of us speaking out, survivors coming forward and claiming that they were also victims of Epstein, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Ghislaine Maxwell.
“So please, we would encourage anyone, if you’ve got any information, to come forward to us.”
Derbyshire asked, “And these are British?”, with Davies-Jones confirming that they are.
Burley chose that moment to interject: “And we should accept that he was a war hero. We should just throw that in.”
The comment led to an awkward silence, with Derbyshire trying to move on by saying: “Thank you.”
Burley butted in again to reiterate, “He was,” as she looked around the studio.
She previously made her thoughts clear in relation to Mountbatten-Windsor’s alleged sexual assault of the late Virginia Giuffre.
She said: “Only four people know what happened in that house.
“One of them is dead, one of them is in prison, one of them sadly took her own life and by all accounts, the other one is lumbering around Sandringham banging doors. He needs to explain what happened.”
Andrew has always vehemently denied all allegations of wrongdoing.
Viewers flooded X with their fury over Burley’s comment, with one tweeting: “You owe a huge apology Kay Burley. Completely disgusting that you felt the need to say this.”
Another added: “Newsnight with an investigation into Andrew’s Pizza Express story ending with a plea for survivors of his abuse to come forward. Kay Burley - ‘We should just accept that he was a war hero, we should just throw that in.’ No, Kay, we really shouldn’t just throw that in.”
“My jaw dropped open watching Kay Burley on Newsnight add ‘we should remember he’s a war hero’ at the end of a piece about Andrew, with Epstein survivors. Incredible. How about adding ‘and Savile did a lot for charity’?” a third posted.
Somebody else said: “F*** off Kay, you have zero credibility and showed exactly who you are with the horrific ‘war hero’ comment.”
Over on Reddit, another viewer commented: “Wtf?? Love how there was pin drop silence, due to shock, from the other woman on the panel after that was said.”
The Standard has contacted Burley’s representative for comment.
Burley retired from Sky News last year after helping to launch it back in 1989.
Despite her triumphs, she has also faced heavy criticism over the years, with calls for her dismissal due to her blunt interviewing style and the thousands of complaints logged with Ofcom.
Some of her most controversial Sky News moments have included making singer Peter Andre cry in 2010 live on air as she discussed his former wife Katie Price remarrying and probing how that could impact his relationship with the two children they share together.
She also sparked outrage back in 2008 when sitting down with Pam Wright, the former partner of convicted killer Steve Wright, known as the Suffolk Strangler.
In a shocking exchange, Burley suggested that her relationship with Wright might have contributed to his gruesome crimes. “Five murders in six weeks. Do you think if you’d had a better sex life he wouldn’t have done that?” Burley asked a stunned Pam.
