BBC bosses today apologised after Radio 2 played Kool & The Gang’s 70’s hit Ladies Night, which contains the lyrics ‘oh, what a night’, during a report about Iran‘s missile attack on Israel.
The technical issue, that saw the intro to the 1979 hit played out, happened on the Radio 2 5pm news bulletin yesterday.
It played as the IDF spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Peter Lerner launched a verbal attack on Iran for its decision to send 350 drones and missiles to blitz Israel on Saturday night.
As Lt Lerner said that Iran had ‘proven’ it continues to be ‘a very substantial enemy’ to Israel, a base and guitar can be heard clearly alongside his comments, while someone sings ‘oh yeah’.
Hitting out the mishap, that took place right before Judi Love came on to cover Rob Beckett, one listener said: ‘Is it amateur hour at the BBC?’
The BBC have apologised for a blunder after it played Kool & The Gang’s 70’s hit Ladies Night, which contains the lyrics ‘oh, what a night’, during a report about Iran ‘s missile attack on Israel
Iran sent more than 300 drones and missiles to blitz Israel on Saturday night. Pictured: An anti-missile system operating over Ashkelon, Israel
Lyrics from Kool & the Gang’s song include: ‘Oh yes it’s ladies night and the feeling’s right – oh yes it’s ladies night, oh what a night, oh what a night!’
Lyrics from the song include: ‘Oh yes it’s ladies night and the feeling’s right – oh yes it’s ladies night, oh what a night, oh what a night!’
Another told the Sun: ‘I just thought, ‘wow, someone must be having a wind-up here’. I was gobsmacked, I couldn’t believe they could have played that. Surely, at a time when everyone is fearing World War 3, we didn’t need to hear that.’
A BBC spokesperson told : ‘The introduction of the first song to be played on Judi Love’s show was played within a part of the Radio 2 news bulletin at 5pm by mistake, and we apologise for the error.’
The blitz that went on into the early hours of Sunday morning saw the RAF and the United State’s Air Force preventing the missiles, alongside Israel’s Iron Dome defence system.
It marked a pivotal moment in the conflict with the world on edge to see if Israel will retaliate to Tehran’s attack.
This morning, Foreign Secretary Lord David Cameron, urged Israel not to escalate clashes with Iran further, in a frantic bid to defuse tensions.
This morning, Foreign Secretary Lord David Cameron, urged Israel not to escalate clashes with Iran further, in a frantic bid to defuse tensions
As Lt Lerner said that Iran had ‘proven’ it continues to be ‘a very substantial enemy’ to Israel, a base and guitar can be heard clearly alongside his comments, while someone sings ‘oh yeah’. Pictured: Rocket trails above the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (C) during a War Cabinet meeting at the Kirya in Tel Aviv
He said the focus needed to remain on Hamas and rescuing the hostages that have still not been returned. Lord Cameron’s media round came ahead of Rishi Sunak making a statement to MPs this afternoon.
Last night’s technical mishap is not the first time the BBC has made a mistake since war broke out in the Middle East once again following Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel.
In November the corporation apologised after it incorrectly reported that Israeli soldiers were ‘targeting medical teams and Arab speakers’ in a raid on Gaza’s main hospital.
Ms Miller had misread the initial report made by Reuters news agency, telling viewers: ‘We are hearing from Reuters that Israel says its forces are carrying out an operation against Hamas in Gaza’s al Shifa hospital.
‘And they are targeting people including medical teams as well as Arab speakers.’
The newsreader then went on to repeat the claim again, stating that Israel was ‘targeting Arab speakers as well as some of the medical staff there’.
The incident led to an uproar from those within the British Jewish community with The Board of Deputies of British Jews calling for an immediate apology.
BBC newsreader Monica Miller misquoted a report about what the IDF is calling a ‘targeted operation against Hamas
Meanwhile the Campaign Against Antisemitism said: ‘The BBC has become a parody of itself.
‘It baselessly accuses Israel of “targeting health workers and Arab speakers” only to acknowledge it should have said the very opposite: that the Israeli teams included health workers and Arabic speakers, in order to minimise harm to local civilians.’
Last night’s sound tracking mistake came a month after the Mail on Sunday revealed that BBC journalists behind a report accusing Israeli soldiers of beating medics at a Gaza hospital had ‘liked’ videos celebrating Hamas terror attacks online.