Channel 4 News’ Krishnan Guru-Murthy taken off air for swearing at Steve Baker

By Alex Green, PA Acting Deputy Entertainment Editor

Channel 4 News anchor Krishnan Guru-Murthy has been taken off-air for a week after he swore at Northern Ireland minister Steve Baker following an interview.

The broadcaster said the presenter’s outburst towards the Tory MP on Wednesday had breached its "strict" code of conduct.

Guru-Murthy later apologised to Baker and described his behaviour as "beneath the standards I set myself".

A statement from the broadcaster said: "Channel 4 has a strict code of conduct for all its employees, including its programming teams and on-air presenters, and takes any breaches seriously.

"Following an off-air incident, Channel 4 News anchor Krishnan Guru-Murthy has been taken off air for a week."

Guru-Murthy will not now return to Channel 4 News before November 4, due to a pre-existing week of leave.

During an off-air moment after his exchange with Baker, Guru-Murthy was heard to say: "What a c***."

He later tweeted: "After a robust interview with Steve Baker MP I used a very offensive word in an unguarded moment off-air.

I appreciate you apologising. Thank you.

— Steve Baker MP FRSA 🗽 (@SteveBakerHW) October 19, 2022

"While it was not broadcast that word in any context is beneath the standards I set myself and I apologise unreservedly.

"I have reached out to Steve Baker to say sorry."

In an interview with Times Radio, Baker said that sacking Guru-Murthy would be a "service to the public" if he was found to be in breach of his code of conduct.

"I had an interview earlier with a journalist I don’t have a great deal of regard for who I felt was misrepresenting the situation through the construction of his question, which I called out, I think live on air, or I thought it was a pre-record," he said.

"And he clearly didn’t like that, quite right, too. But I’d be quite honest, I spent a long time live on air, calling him out on his conduct as a journalist and glad to do so any time.

"But it’s most unfortunate that he’s sworn on air like that. If it’s in breach of his code of conduct, I do hope they sack him – it would be a service to the public."

Baker later replied to Guru-Murthy’s tweet, accepting the apology and saying he "appreciated" the gesture.

The interview came after a tumultuous day in Westminster which saw Suella Braverman resign as home secretary, to be replaced by Grant Shapps.