LONDON – The BBC interviewed the wrong Guy.
The network has apologized to viewers for a studio blunder that resulted in a man mistakenly appearing on live television as Guy Kewney, an expert on Internet music downloads.
In fact, the man was Guy Goma, a Congolese applying for a technology-related job with the British Broadcasting Corp. Goma followed an employee to the studio after a mistake at a reception desk, the BBC said Monday.
The case of mistaken identity occurred May 8, the day Britain’s High Court awarded Apple Computer a victory in a lawsuit against Apple Corps, The Beatles’ commercial arm.
In a reaction piece following the verdict, BBC News 24 consumer affairs correspondent Karen Bowerman welcomed Goma, who she thought was computer expert Kewney.
After she introduced him, Goma scrunched his face in panic and tried to open his mouth as if to explain.
“Were you surprised by this verdict today?” Bowerman asked.
“I’m very surprised to see the verdict come on me because I was not expecting that,” he said in a heavy French accent, blinking in the studio lights. “When I came, they told me something else.”
Nonplussed, he pressed on, growing more confident as the interview progressed. He gamely delivered his opinion on the future of music downloads and cyber cafes following the landmark verdict.
The BBC said it apologized to viewers for the confusion. Officials declined to comment on whether Goma would get the job he applied for.
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