Passer-by Hijacks BBC Breakfast Report with Rant about TV Licence Fee

Mortifying Moment on Live TV

A BBC Breakfast host was left mortified as a passer-by hijacked a live report with a rant about the 'greedy' TV licence fee. The incident occurred during a segment on the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester and the ongoing drama surrounding the HS2 train link between London and Manchester.

Unexpected Interruption

Reporter Peter Ruddick was live from outside Manchester Piccadilly station, discussing the HS2 train drama, when the man suddenly appeared over his shoulder. The man, dressed in a tracksuit, hi-vis jacket, and hat, angrily jabbed his finger at the camera and shouted, "Slash the TV licence fee you greedy…" Quick Thinking in the Studio The camera quickly cut back to Sally Nugent in the studio, who looked slightly startled by the interruption. As she scrambled to fill the unexpected gap, she addressed the incident and swiftly moved on to another topic, saying, "Er, Peter having a little bit of unwanted attention there. So let's move on shall we for a moment? We're going to talk about HS2 quite a lot this morning."

The Controversial TV Licence Fee

A TV licence currently costs £159 a year, with people over the age of 74 and accessing Pension Credit able to apply for a free licence. The man's outburst highlights the ongoing debate surrounding the cost and accessibility of the TV licence fee.

BBC Breakfast airs weekdays from 6am on BBC One.