# BBC interviews the wrong Guy **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 16, 2006, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbc-interviews-the-wrong-guy/356933 "2006-05-16T05:45:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SanibelMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@SanibelMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanibelMan)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbc-interviews-the-wrong-guy/356933/1 "2006-05-16T05:45:00Z")
The BBC was looking for a guy named Guy to interview for a story on the Apple v. Apple case. A guy name Guy was at the BBC for a job interview. [Guess who ended up on the telly?](http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/arts/AP-BBC-Mistaken-Identity.html) He actually did a pretty good job of bluffing his way through it, considering he had no idea what he was talking about. [Here’s the video.](http://img.dailymail.co.uk/video/cabbie.wmv) ---
**Author:** ![Baraqiyal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecccb3/32.png) [@Baraqiyal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baraqiyal)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbc-interviews-the-wrong-guy/356933/2 "2006-05-16T05:56:15Z")
From [another](http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-2178097,00.html) article: \*“It is not the first time that the BBC has been embarrassed by a case of mistaken identity. Last year Rhodri Morgan, the First Minister of Wales, was mistaken for a cast member of Doctor Who”. \* How embarrassing for the BBC. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbc-interviews-the-wrong-guy/356933/3 "2006-05-16T06:04:11Z")
I wonder if he’d been doing any gardening, by any chance. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 10:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbc-interviews-the-wrong-guy/356933/4 "2006-05-16T10:24:37Z")
The look on his face, as he gets introduced and realises something is terribly wrong with his job interview, is priceless. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 10:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbc-interviews-the-wrong-guy/356933/5 "2006-05-16T10:40:02Z")
There’s another thread about this somewhere already, but no matter… It is priceless, isn’t it? - look at the way the interviewer flounders towards the end of the clip; I reckon the news that it was the wrong guy must have come through her earpiece. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbc-interviews-the-wrong-guy/356933/6 "2006-05-16T11:19:05Z")
I think the wrong guy (they were both called Guy!) was actually a taxi driver. ‘A computer expert has described his astonishment at seeing the BBC’s 24-hour news channel interview supposed taxi driver Guy Goma in the mistaken belief it was him.’ > **[Da Vinci Code conductor 'molested boys after plying them with drink'](https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-453494/Da-Vinci-Code-conductor-molested-boys-plying-drink.html)** > > A highly regarded conductor persuaded a teenage boy to abandon a date with a girl before sexually assaulting him, a court has heard. ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbc-interviews-the-wrong-guy/356933/7 "2006-05-16T12:00:59Z")
Good god, the look on his face when she introduced him was absolutely priceless. ---
**Author:** ![Oy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bc8723/32.png) [@Oy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oy)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbc-interviews-the-wrong-guy/356933/8 "2006-05-16T12:08:44Z")
[QUOTE=Derleth] I wonder if he’d been doing any gardening, by any chance. [/QUOTE] 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Szlater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Szlater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Szlater)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbc-interviews-the-wrong-guy/356933/9 "2006-05-16T12:48:56Z")
According to [this](http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=31744) the Guy interviewed was actually a computer programmer waiting for a job interview, and not a taxi driver. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbc-interviews-the-wrong-guy/356933/10 "2006-05-16T13:26:02Z")
[QUOTE=Szlater] According to [this](http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=31744) the Guy interviewed was actually a computer programmer waiting for a job interview, and not a taxi driver. [/QUOTE] Let’s raise the stakes! I already have \*\*the Mail on Sunday \*\* quote above. Here is **the Times** : The corporation’s News 24 channel apologised to its viewers yesterday and admitted that its interviewee was not Guy Kewney, the respected editor of [Newswireless.net](http://Newswireless.net), but a local taxi driver… > **[Latest news & breaking headlines](https://www.thetimes.com/)** > > The latest breaking UK, US, world, business and sport news from The Times and The Sunday Times. Go beyond today's headlines with in-depth analysis and comment. and **the Guardian** : A BBC insider said the wrong Guy was a minicab driver, waiting to pick up the real Guy. > **[BBC gets wrong Guy - and gives cab driver five minutes of fame](https://www.theguardian.com/media/2006/may/13/broadcasting.bbc)** > > Just get the guy, any guy, and stick him in front of the camera is, some fear, the philosophy of rolling television news. For BBC News 24, however, the bloke in reception waiting patiently to pontificate on a courtroom verdict turned out to be the... I admit \*\*the Independent \*\* says it was an interview. \*\*The Telegraph \*\* seems to have no record of the incident. Moving away from the quality press, we come to **the Mirror** , which covers all the bases: The BBC has apologised after putting a mystery man, possibly a taxi driver, on the air in a live interview, mistaking him for a computer expert who was waiting at the reception desk. [http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/latest/tm\_objectid=17081258%26method=full%26siteid=94762-name\_page.html](http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/latest/tm_objectid=17081258%26method=full%26siteid=94762-name_page.html) A MAN quizzed live on BBC TV after being mistaken for an IT expert was last night identified as an accountant waiting for a job interview. [http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/topstories/tm\_objectid=17083600%26method=full%26siteid=94762-name\_page.html](http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/topstories/tm_objectid=17083600%26method=full%26siteid=94762-name_page.html) Lowering the tone to **the Sun** : Stunned Guy travelled to Beeb headquarters for a JOB interview as an accountant… Red-faced BBC producers had claimed Guy was a cabbie holding a placard with Mr Kewney’s name. But he does not even drive a car. [http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2006220380,,00.html](http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2006220380,,00.html) ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbc-interviews-the-wrong-guy/356933/11 "2006-05-16T22:06:17Z")
[According to the BBC](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/help/3681938.stm), it’s the job interview gone wrong, not the errant cabbie (link goes directly to two minute video). ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbc-interviews-the-wrong-guy/356933/12 "2006-05-16T23:51:01Z")
I predict his next TV appearance will be as host on _Have I got News For You_. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2006, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbc-interviews-the-wrong-guy/356933/13 "2006-05-17T06:09:30Z")
Sorry, **Mangetout** - he was a guest on Five News yesterday, although I only caught the end of it. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2006, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbc-interviews-the-wrong-guy/356933/14 "2006-05-17T06:30:22Z")
BWAHAHAHAHAHHA!!! Anchor: “Were you surprised by this verdict today?” Guy: "I’m very surprised to see this verdict today… to come on me, because I was not expecting that. When I came, they told me something else and … it’s a big surprise. Anchor: “A big surprise?” Guy: “Exactly.” :D:D:D:D:D:D:D