BBC Breakfast presenter Dan Walker was forced to apologise after a slip-up during a poignant interview with two Ukrainian refugees on Monday (March 7).
Vitaliy Georgiev and his wife Olya Gridina appeared via video link from Bucharest, Romania, after fleeing the Ukraine capital of Kyiv.
Introducing them, Dan told viewers: “Olya Gridina and her husband Vitaliy Georgiev are a family stranded in Mariupol at the moment – they can speak to us now from Bucharest in Romania, where they both fled from Kyiv.
“Thank you both so much for being here with us this morning and spending a bit of time with us on BBC Breakfast. First of all, how are you and how are your family – and when did you last speak to them?”
Vitaliy explained that he last heard from his daughter six days ago, who had told him that “everything is quiet” – but Vitaliy admitted: “But I don’t know what to say.”
(Image: BBC)
“I don’t know if I will see my daughter again, it’s terrible,” he said.
Soon Dan was forced to interrupt the pair – and apologise for his slip-up – as Olya began to speak about family who were unable to leave the country.
Dan said: “Olya, I believe you are three and a half months pregnant, what have the last few days been like for you? How are you coping?”
(Image: BBC)
The pair responded to his question, but Dan began speaking again before apologising: “Sorry, there’s a slight delay on the line – forgive me for interrupting you. I just wonder what your plan is long-term. Have you even thought about that, is the plan to stay in Romania?
“Obviously you’re still trying to get in contact with your family…”
It comes after Dan’s co-star Naga Munchetty came under fire for one question put to a soldier in Kyiv, which viewers branded “stupid”.
(Image: BBC)
Speaking about leaving his family to fight in the Russian invasion of his country, Naga asked: “Do you think you’ve made a choice between your family and your country?”
But the audience soon came out in full force, with one fuming: “F***ing hell Naga, leave the poor bloke alone and stop asking stupid questions.”
“Naga: ‘Do you think you’ve made a choice between your family and your country?’, what a stupid question,” another said.
As someone else echoed: “Naga wtf. Why are you pursuing that line of questions? Twist the knife why don’t you.”
BBC Breakfast airs daily from 6am on BBC One.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
