The wrong guy
You may not be familiar with the name Guy Kewney, but you will certainly have heard of the embarrassing incident when someone who clearly wasn't IT expert Guy Kewney was interviewed in a business slot on News 24. It's given Fleet Street's finest - and many insiders too - a good chuckle. (Watch the interview here)
puts it thus: "It appears that the joke has irresistible appeal to my fellow hax: specifically, anybody who isn't News 24 thinks it's hilarious."
He's not wrong. The mix-up has caused much gnashing of teeth, tightening up of procedures and has spawned this - the first News 24 entry on the Editors' blog.
Sadly, the real sequence of events is not quite as amusing as the papers suggest:
1) Harassed producer sets off at a brisk pace - much of the activity on News 24 is conducted at a brisk pace - to get his guest from "reception". You've guessed: wrong reception... the real Guy Kewney was at stage door, our man legs it to Stage Six reception.
2) Producer asks receptionist to point out Guy Kewney. The Wrong Guy is identified. Producer asks again - having seen photo of real Guy (he describes himself as "very pink") on website, he is nonplussed by being sent in direction of a rather darker individual. Same answer.
3) Producer asks waiting man: "Are you Guy Kewney?" Wrong Guy replies in the affirmative and is whisked up to News 24's studio with only moments to spare before going on air.
4) Business presenter Karen Bowerman has premonition of disaster - gets message to editor (me) that guest "seems not to know too much about the subject".
5) Ed Has Idea: issues instruction to ask guest ONE question and then interview our (excellent and knowledgeable) reporter at High Court, Rob Pittam.
6) Instruction fails to reach correct people: the wrong Guy is asked three questions, with toe-curling results.
7) Only later does it transpire that real Guy is still waiting patiently in reception - prompting question: "Who the hell is Wrong Guy?"
Well, he's NOT a cabbie.
He is, in fact, a graduate in Economics and Business Studies who hails from the Congo. He was at Television Centre for a job interview - as a "Data Support Cleanser" in the Business Information Department. Poor soul, he was nervous and just did as he was told.
When I tracked him down today, he said that he had found his on air interview both "very short" and "very stressful" and was disappointed not to have been asked about data cleansing. He was prepared to return to the airwaves: "Happy to speak about any situation" - but would insist next time on "preparing myself".
How did the mix-up occur? We were hoping to interview Guy Kewney; we actually interviewed Guy Goma. Could have happened to anyone...
Comments
But did he get the job?
Enjoyed this very much. Great to see news escaping out from the packaging.
Just one question - did he get the data cleansing job?
The 'wrong' Guy radiates a certain on-screen warmth. How sporting of him to keep the show going where a lesser guest might have frozen. Why not invite him to spend a day guest editing a news programme? Then he too can give us his account... in an editors' blog.
so the end result is that it is less likely to happen in future?
Mr Goma told a crowing GMTV today that he's still waiting to hear about the job. Best of luck, Guy. And enjoy the limelight...
I've just heard the other Guy apologise on News 24 for what happened. But if anyone owes Guy Kewney an apology it's News 24. Haven't heard one yet...
Jeremy - just to say that News 24 did apologise at the end of the latest interview but perhaps more dangerously offered an assurance it won't happen again....we shall see!
So where did the story about him being a cabbie come from? Even the Â鶹Éç itself reported this, which struck me as rather ironic - not only did the Beeb put the wrong guest on air, they then get the identity of the guest wrong!
RE: "Blame the cuts for this, not any individuals"
Do you honestly believe this?
You can blame any mistake on lack of resources.
What exactly is a Data Cleanser anyway?
Perhaps you could get Guy Goma on to explain.
Data Cleansers are used to support the Panorama program
The latest episode: Guy Goma is now listed in the IMDB. I can't cope with this. , or what?
:-)
Guy (honest, it is me!) Kewney
Please can I get confirmation that no one lost their jobs over this? Is the receptionist who started the ball rolling still employed by the Â鶹Éç?
Is it really you, or just someone the Â鶹Éç mistook as you?:)
I enjoyed this story it was funny. The wrong Guy and the presenter dealt with the situation brilliantly.
Even after all this time it still brings a smile to my face.
I am so tickled that somebody who thought that they were starting a normal day, walked into another dimension. This might, actually, change his life. Ahhh Destiny!!!
It seems as usual they have tried to pass the buck. Calling the man a cabbie etc (was that b'cos he's black) and lying that he called himself Guy Kewney. Does he not know his name anymore? This is very ridiculous. The man deserves an unreserved apology. Will it ever come?
I'm still laughing.
Excellent.
We are all human. Anybody can make a mistake. No big deal, but a jolly gaff.
Bernard.