BBC's Maryam Moshiri apologizes after video of her flipping the bird amid live broadcast goes viral

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM: Maryam Moshiri, a news anchor for the BBC, has issued an apology after a video clip went viral showing her flipping the middle finger during a live broadcast on Wednesday, December 6, as per The Guardian.

Clip of Maryam Moshiri showing the middle finger during broadcast goes viral

The brief but shocking moment occurred at the start of the midday news bulletin. Moshiri, seemingly not realizing she was on-air, raised her hand and clearly stuck up her middle finger directly at the camera.

She then quickly lowered her hand and jumped straight into the news segment saying, "Live from London, this is BBC News."

What followed was no mention of the obscene gesture, as Moshiri detailed the story around former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his behavior during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Britain’s former Prime Minister Boris Johnson apologizes for the pain and loss suffered in the UK during the first pandemic,” Moshiri reported professionally.

After the live broadcast, the short clip of Moshiri flipping the bird instantly went viral on social media platforms.

Viewers were stunned at what they had witnessed from a seasoned BBC journalist. Calls came pouring in for the network to take action against Moshiri for her completely unprofessional actions.

Maryam Moshiri provides context for the on-air blunder

Shortly after, Moshiri took to social media to provide context and an explanation for the on-air blunder.

In a post, she explained that right before going live, she had been joking with producers through her earpiece while doing a 10-second countdown with her fingers.

"When we got to 1 I turned finger around as a joke and did not realise that this would be caught on camera," Moshiri clarified.

She added, “It was a private joke with the team and I’m so sorry it went out on air! It wasn’t 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."

Social media abuzz with commentary about Maryam Moshiri's act

As expected, social media platforms were abuzz with commentary about the viral incident.

One user on X commented, “Don’t worry about it! Clear you were only having a moment of levity with crew.”

Another user made light of the incident by saying, "I mean it ain't that serious..its hilarious. I don't think there is a need for apology. Thanks for meme tho."

While one user wrote, "Wild world we live in when you have to apologise for something like this," another remarked, "You’re a legend, this stuff happens, so ignore anything other than people laughing with you."

"Let humans be humans! Was a great laugh," commented one amused user.

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