➢ Yesterday the Queen officially opened the BBC’s rebuilt Broadcasting House from the Radio 4 studio of the Today programme … She then took a tour of the new £1 billion empire which is now London home to more than 30 domestic and World Service radio stations, three 24-hour TV news channels, all of the BBC’s main news bulletins and is the workplace for 6,000 BBC staff from television, radio, news and online services… / Continued with video report at BBC online
1 – Live on the BBC’s rolling news channel: anchor Sophie Long has already noticed HMQ photobombing their bulletin as the Queen tours the newsroom at New Broadcasting House
2 – Live on air: co-anchor Julian Worricker turns his back on the viewers to loyally give HMQ a bow from the neck. This instantly raises a huge burst of cheers and waves from the 300 journalists on their feet throughout the BBC newsroom
3 – Live on air: For 30 protracted seconds amid gales of laughter nobody flinches in what the commentator Simon McCoy described as “one of the most bizarre bits of television that the BBC has produced” (an observation hoovered out of the BBC’s own coverage today!). Against protocol, star-struck hacks start waving camphones in the air and photobomb the photobomb. Veteran political editor John Sergeant later pronounced the event a “royal love-in” – despite the fact the anchors brazenly remained seated in the presence of the monarch!
4 – Live on air: “Who, me?” Somebody finally enlightens HMQ that one is in fact being seen by millions and the rolling news transmission has come to a grinding standstill. (Videograbs from BBC)
❏ Earlier on her tour of the BBC, the Queen visited Radio 1’s live studio [below] to listen to a young Irish band called The Script rendering Bowie’s “Heroes”. She did not appear to be amused, and there was almost a flash of the middle-aged Bowie in her face… Her Maj did thank the band warmly afterwards
Who is the least amused: Her Maj yesterday listening to the Bowie song “Heroes” or its author who was miles away?
➢➢ Shapers of the 80s ➣➣ 