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| Krishnan Guru-Murthy taken off air for swearing about Steve Baker | Krishnan Guru-Murthy taken off air for swearing about Steve Baker |
| (3 months later) | |
| Channel 4 News anchor used offensive word off air to describe Northern Ireland minister | Channel 4 News anchor used offensive word off air to describe Northern Ireland minister |
| The Channel 4 News anchor Krishnan Guru-Murthy has been taken off air for a week after he was caught making an offensive comment off-camera about the Northern Ireland minister Steve Baker. | The Channel 4 News anchor Krishnan Guru-Murthy has been taken off air for a week after he was caught making an offensive comment off-camera about the Northern Ireland minister Steve Baker. |
| During an off-air moment after his exchange with Baker on Wednesday, Guru-Murthy was heard to say: “What a cunt.” | During an off-air moment after his exchange with Baker on Wednesday, Guru-Murthy was heard to say: “What a cunt.” |
| He will not now return to Channel 4 News before 4 November, due to a pre-existing week of leave, the broadcaster said. | He will not now return to Channel 4 News before 4 November, due to a pre-existing week of leave, the broadcaster said. |
| In a statement published on Thursday, Channel 4 said: “Channel 4 has a strict code of conduct for all its employees, including its programming teams and on-air presenters, and takes any breaches seriously. | In a statement published on Thursday, Channel 4 said: “Channel 4 has a strict code of conduct for all its employees, including its programming teams and on-air presenters, and takes any breaches seriously. |
| “Following an off-air incident, Channel 4 News anchor Krishnan Guru-Murthy has been taken off air for a week.” | “Following an off-air incident, Channel 4 News anchor Krishnan Guru-Murthy has been taken off air for a week.” |
| After the incident, Guru-Murthy apologised to Baker on Twitter. | After the incident, Guru-Murthy apologised to Baker on Twitter. |
| He wrote: “After a robust interview with Steve Baker MP I used a very offensive word in an unguarded moment off air. | He wrote: “After a robust interview with Steve Baker MP I used a very offensive word in an unguarded moment off air. |
| “While it was not broadcast, that word in any context is beneath the standards I set myself and I apologise unreservedly. | “While it was not broadcast, that word in any context is beneath the standards I set myself and I apologise unreservedly. |
| “I have reached out to Steve Baker to say sorry.” | “I have reached out to Steve Baker to say sorry.” |
| In an interview with Times Radio, Baker said that sacking Guru-Murthy would be a “service to the public” if he was found to be in breach of his code of conduct. | In an interview with Times Radio, Baker said that sacking Guru-Murthy would be a “service to the public” if he was found to be in breach of his code of conduct. |
| “I had an interview earlier with a journalist I don’t have a great deal of regard for who I felt was misrepresenting the situation through the construction of his question, which I called out, I think live on air, or I thought it was a pre-record,” he said. | “I had an interview earlier with a journalist I don’t have a great deal of regard for who I felt was misrepresenting the situation through the construction of his question, which I called out, I think live on air, or I thought it was a pre-record,” he said. |
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| “And he clearly didn’t like that, quite right, too. But I’d be quite honest, I spent a long time live on air, calling him out on his conduct as a journalist and glad to do so any time. | “And he clearly didn’t like that, quite right, too. But I’d be quite honest, I spent a long time live on air, calling him out on his conduct as a journalist and glad to do so any time. |
| “But it’s most unfortunate that he’s sworn on air like that. If it’s in breach of his code of conduct, I do hope they sack him – it would be a service to the public.” | “But it’s most unfortunate that he’s sworn on air like that. If it’s in breach of his code of conduct, I do hope they sack him – it would be a service to the public.” |
| Baker later replied to Guru-Murthy’s tweet, accepting the apology and saying he “appreciated” the gesture. | Baker later replied to Guru-Murthy’s tweet, accepting the apology and saying he “appreciated” the gesture. |