BBC presenter Laura Kuenssberg 'embarrassed' by Johnson message error

BBC presenter Laura Kuenssberg scheduled interview with Boris Johnson has been cancelled, after she accidentally sent the former prime minister her briefing notes.

Boris Johnson: The Laura Kuenssberg Interview was due to be broadcast on Thursday evening on BBC One.

However, the BBC’s former political editor said it was “not right for the interview to go ahead” after sharing notes with him which had been intended for her colleagues.

Kuenssberg described it as “embarrassing and disappointing”, but that “red faces aside, honesty is the best policy”.

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The BBC said it had agreed with Johnson’s team that cancelling the interview was “the best way forward”.

Johnson is currently taking part in media interviews to promote his new memoir, which has also been recently serialised in a newspaper.

Presenters usually work with a team of researchers to prepare a brief ahead of a major interview.

The process usually includes gathering biographical material about the subject, highlighting controversies, and coming up with suggested lines of questioning.

In a statement posted on X late on Wednesday, Kuenssberg explained: “While prepping to interview Boris Johnson tomorrow, by mistake I sent our briefing notes to him in a message meant for my team.

“That obviously means it’s not right for the interview to go ahead.”

She continued: “It’s very frustrating, and there’s no point pretending it’s anything other than embarrassing and disappointing, as there are plenty of important questions to be asked.

“But red faces aside, honesty is the best policy. See you on Sunday,” she added, referring to her regular Sunday morning politics programme which will go ahead as normal.

In a statement, the BBC said: “Tomorrow’s interview with Boris Johnson won’t be going ahead.

“As Laura has explained, interview briefing notes meant for colleagues were inadvertently shared with him. This makes an interview tomorrow untenable.

“Under the circumstances, both the BBC and Mr Johnson’s team have agreed this is the best way forward.”

Kuenssberg had said on her programme at the weekend that her interview with Johnson would be his “first on his time in office since his dramatic departure from Downing Street”.

The BBC said it had moved EastEnders back to its usual slot of 19:30 BST in Thursday’s schedule in place of the interview.