4 Terrible Live TV Gaffes

There’s nothing better than a TV Gaffe. Perhaps your favourite is a rival team’s goalkeeper letting it slip through his legs, a newsreader caught off-guard or a naturalist who’s unaware that his subjects are, ahem, going at it in the background.

The fact is, live TV is exhilarating. In the past we’ve spoken at length on this blog about the emergence of live streaming sites and their mammoth potential, but they are essentially just recreating that nervy tension that comes with anything that’s broadcast live- a phenomenon we’ve had for many years now.

Still, this article isn’t meant to put you off trialling live streaming for your brand or engaging in live TV, it’s simply a bit of fun. So without further ado The Living Room presents our favourite live TV gaffes in history. Or in other words, just our favourites… Enjoy!

1. Guy Goma, BBC Interview Gaffe

10 years ago Guy Goma turned up at the BBC expecting to be interviewed for a job in their IT department. Instead, he ended up on live TV being interviewed about the naming rights case between Apple Corp and Apple Computer, having been confused with expert and tech journalist Guy Kewney.

Goma is clearly unsure of himself but, at around 27 seconds in, he bites his lip and decides to go with it. Despite his resilience, poor Goma didn’t even end up getting the IT job. Still, this gaffe can’t be blamed on him and you’ve got to feel sorry for his predicament.

2. Angela Constance Asks To ‘Re-do’ A Live Broadcast

Here’s another person who didn’t realise they were going to be on live television. Problem with this one is, Angela Constance- Scottish MP, simply didn’t realise the broadcast was live unlike poor Goma she was aware she was going on TV! When Constance fluffed her lines she even asked to ‘re-do’ them. She was gently told that the show was in fact airing live, queue a shocked face!

3. Olly Murs Revealing X-Factor Results Prematurely

After Cowell and co. were undecided who to send home when two contestants had entered a ‘sing-off’, the decision was supposed to be decided by the public’s vote.

Despite the judges having cast two votes in favour of each act, Olly Murs interjected to tell the millions of people watching that Monica would be leaving the competition. Unfortunately for Murs, he got it completely wrong and slightly right.

Because Monica did in fact get voted out by the public, leading many to question whether the X-Factor is rigged. Oops.

4. Steve Harvey Crowns Wrong Miss World

Along similar lines to Murs, presenter of Miss World 2015, Steve Harvey, managed to crown the wrong winner. Harvey announced Colombia’s entrant as the victor when, in fact, the crown was for Miss Philippines.

Poor Miss Colombia had to return the crown to the rightful recipient live on air. It was a painful, cringe worthy sequence of events as a tearful Miss Colombia handed the crown to a shocked (and embarrassed) Miss Philippines. Wow, I think we have a Live TV Gaffe winner…

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