BBC mistakes cab driver for music expert LOL

s0nny80y · May 14, 2006

Here's the video link:
http://img.dailymail.co.uk/video/cabbie.wmv

Fare comment!
22:56pm 13th May 2006

He is the BBC's latest star - the cab driver who a leading presenter believed was a world expert on the internet music business.

The man stepped unwittingly into the national spotlight when he was interviewed by mistake on the corporation's News 24 channel.

With the seconds ticking down to a studio discussion about a court case involving Apple Computer and The Beatles' record label, a floor manager had run to reception and grabbed the man, thinking he was Guy Kewney, editor of Newswireless.net, a specialist internet publication.

Actually, he was a minicab driver who had been waiting to drive Mr Kewney home.

Video: Watch the interview here

Baffled, but compliant, the driver was fitted with a microphone and allowed himself to be marched in to the studio. Cameras rolled, and he was quizzed live on air by consumer affairs correspondent Karen Bowerman - who missed the cabbie's panic-stricken expression when he realised he was being interviewed.

Despite knowing nothing about the case - a judge ruled that the computer company could continue to use the Apple symbol for its iTunes download service - the man gamely attempted to bluff his way through and, speaking in a strong French accent, sustained a (somewhat illogical) form of conversation. Meanwhile, the real Mr Kewney watched indignantly on a monitor in reception.

A tape of the exchange, broadcast on Monday morning, has become a classic among BBC workers.

It starts with the mystery man's horrified expression as Ms Bowerman introduces him as a technology expert, followed by his plucky attempt to answer her question on whether he was surprised by the verdict.

Yes, he says with feeling. It was a 'big surprise'. After an increasingly confusing exchange, the presenter cut with relief to the BBC's equally puzzled reporter outside the court, while the taxi driver was hurried out of the studio.

The BBC apologised, saying the mistake occurred because the man was wearing Mr Kewney's name tag. Mr Kewney said: "Everyone seems to think he was a taxi driver waiting in reception to take me home. But no one knows for sure."

He added: "There were several surprising things about 'my' interview. Judging by my performance, English wasn't my first language and I didn't seem to know much about Apple, online music or The Beatles."

He said the taxi driver "seemed as baffled as I felt". Last night, the driver's identity remained a mystery. None of the taxi firms regularly used by the BBC would admit to employing him.

Do you know the mystery cab driver? Contact the newsdesk on 020 7938 7021 or by email at news@mailonsunday.co.uk.

Read the transcript of the interview below...

http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=386136&in_page_id=1770&in_page_id=1770

Niels · May 14, 2006

LMAO!!!

den brakke · May 17, 2006

DQuaN · May 17, 2006

http://www.break.com/index/bbccabbie.html

:lol:

poolio · May 17, 2006

Funny. As . F--- :lol:

👍

amp88 · May 17, 2006

Fantastic.

F1GTR · May 17, 2006

Read about it yesterday but only saw the video today. His expression is great!

benzoboy · May 18, 2006

Lmao!

G.T · May 18, 2006

I just cannot believe he carried on answering the questions in a clam manner! :lol:

Gabkicks · May 18, 2006

yeah he stayed cool considering

... whats funny is the reporter just kept going on and on like a robot

...

his facial expression is priceless when he realizes they have mistaken him for someone else

daan · May 18, 2006

G.T
I just cannot believe he carried on answering the questions in a clam manner!

But he didn't really come out of his shell.

DQuaN · May 18, 2006

daan
But he didn't really come out of his shell.

Oh man!

I think it's something to do with being Scottish. If you are Scottish you tell awful jokes.

My dad is just the same.

G.T · May 18, 2006

daan
But he didn't really come out of his shell.

Oh well...

Gen. · May 18, 2006

The news story is all wrong. He was currently applying for a job at the BBC as a data cleanser, not a taxi driver. He thought it was an aptitude test, so he went along with it. Any normal person would resist a bunch of people shoving them somewhere they didn't know.

Anyway.

LM
BO.

Pupik · May 19, 2006

NPR told this story on the radio the other day; they said that the new hire had the same first name as the fellow to be interviewed. They put the fellow who was an IT applicant into an interview by mistake; the interview was rather funny, he didn't do bad for someone who had a real off-the-cuff interview...just fudge it as much as you can!