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17 September 2014updated 09 Jun 2021 2:12pm

Sky’s Kay Burley calls a Scottish Yes supporter “a bit of a knob” live on air

If you work in TV or radio, never, ever say anything bad near a microphone – you never know when it might still be turned on. 

By Media Mole

Cometh the hour, cometh the microphone left live at an inopportune moment. Back in 2010 Gordon Brown scored an own goal by referring to a disgruntled former Labour supporter as a “bigot” while out campaigning before the general election – and for the Scottish independence referendum, it appears it’s down to Sky Kay Burley to make a similar mistake.

She called a Yes supporter “a bit of a knob” seconds before she was due to give a report to camera in Aberdeen, apparently unawares that the microphone was turned on several seconds before the camera. It appears the person in question didn’t want to be filmed by her crew, but she took a photo with her phone and then held that up to the camera.

“At least two people campaigning against England here,” she quipped, though the irony is not lost on this Mole that this may feed into the widespread belief among Yes supporters that the establishment media is biased against Scottish independence.

UPDATE: Burley has apologised:

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