'First Up After the News We Will be Talking to Jeremy C***'

Oops.

A VETERAN BBC radio host has committed the ultimate broadcaster’s faux pas after he accidentally uttered the C-word - instead of a minister's surname.

James Naughtie committed the Monday morning error as he introduced a guest on Radio 4's highbrow current affairs show Today.

He was supposed to say: “First up after the news we will be talking to Jeremy Hunt, the Culture Secretary.”

Instead, Mr Naughtie perpetrated a very unfortunate Spoonerism - swapping around the initial letters of two of the words.

“First up after the news we will be talking to Jeremy C***,” he announced, then fell into an appalled silence.

After a pause he added: “ … Hunt, the Culture Secretary ... about [coughs] broadband” before falling silent once more.

A discomposed Mr Naughtie made an attempt to smooth over his disaster as he gave the introductory summary of the news headlines, but his voice was distorted several times by a strange choking noise.

“Bad coughing fit,” he explained, after he managed to give the name of the newsreader.

Listen here (via Tim Blair):