Top UK news presenter taken off air for swearing at minister

LONDON: The lead presenter of Britain´s Channel 4 News was on Thursday taken off air for a week after swearing at a Conservative minister following an interview.

The incident involving presenter Krishnan Guru-Murthy came after a feisty interview with Northern Ireland minister Steve Baker in off-air comments picked up by microphones. “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,” the public broadcaster said in a statement.

“Following an off-air incident, Channel 4 News anchor Krishnan Guru-Murthy has been taken off air for a week.” Guru-Murthy on Wednesday tweeted: “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.