‘While prepping to interview Boris Johnson tomorrow, by mistake I sent our briefing notes to him in a message meant for my team.’
BBC journalist Laura Kuennsberg has had to cancel a scheduled interview with Boris Johnson, after sending the former Prime Minister her briefing notes beforehand.
Kuenssberg said she sent Johnson the notes “in a message meant for my team”. The former BBC political editor said it was “embarrassing and disappointing”, adding the error meant it was “not right for the interview to go ahead”.
The interview was due to be broadcast at 7.30pm on Thursday on BBC One, ahead of the launch of Johnson’s memoir, Unleashed, that will be published next week.
In a post on X, Kuenssberg wrote: “While prepping to interview Boris Johnson tomorrow, by mistake I sent our briefing notes to him in a message meant for my team.
“That obviously means it’s not right for the interview to go ahead.
“It’s very frustrating, and there’s no point pretending it’s anything other than embarrassing and disappointing, as there are plenty of important questions to be asked.
“But red faces aside, honesty is the best policy. See you on Sunday.”
Johnson was expected to face a grilling on a range of issues since leaving office, which included Brexit, his government’s handling of the Covid pandemic and the Partygate scandal.
Reacting to the news of the cancelled interview, some issued calls for the BBC to use another journalist.
Basit Mahmood is editor of Left Foot Forward
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