Extended footage of BBC News presenter Maryam Moshiri giving the middle finger live on air has been released.
After the short clip went viral last week, prompting an apology from Moshiri, previously unseen footage leading up to the presenter flipping the bird on camera has made its way online.
The footage gives some context to Moshiri’s actions, as she counts down to when BBC News switches back to the studio. Check out the footage below.
The full clip of the BBC presenter giving a middle finger has just come out pic.twitter.com/nuCuyGe7A8
— UB1UB2 West London (Southall) (@UB1UB2) December 15, 2023
While many believed the clip was released by the BBC, Moshiri stated in a post on X that she didn’t know how the clip made its way online, but that she’s “glad this is out there”.
“So someone released the full video!” Moshiri wrote. “It wasn’t the BBC who released this and it certainly wasn’t me! But in a way I think I’m glad this is out there, as it shows I WAS having a bit of a joke with the crew during the countdown.
“Again, so sorry it went out on air. It was meant to be a private laugh.”
So someone released the full video !
It wasn’t the BBC who released this and it certainly wasn’t me! But in a way I think I’m glad this is out there, as it shows I WAS having a bit of a joke with the crew during the countdown.
Again, so sorry it went out on air. It was meant… pic.twitter.com/94pATaKP7i
— Maryam Moshiri (@BBCMaryam) December 15, 2023
In her original apology, Moshiri explained that she was sharing a private joke with her producers in the studio.
“Hey everyone, yesterday just before the top of the hour I was joking around a bit with the team in the gallery,” she wrote. “I was pretending to count down as the director was counting me down from 10-0… including the fingers to show the number. So from 10 fingers held up to one.
“When we got to 1 I turned [my] finger around as a joke and did not realise that this would be caught on camera. It was a private joke with the team and I’m so sorry it went out on air!”
She added: “It was not my intention for this to happen and I’m sorry if I offended or upset anyone. I wasn’t ‘flipping the bird’ at viewers or even a person really. It was a silly joke that was meant for a small number of my mates.”
Moshiri has worked at the BBC for over 20 years, where she has regularly presented coverage on the BBC World News and BBC News channels.
The post Watch full viral clip of BBC presenter giving the middle finger to camera on air appeared first on NME.
