The BBC broadcast a racial slur twice in one day two months after it was embroiled in scandal for a similar incident at the Baftas.
Earlier this month BBC Radio 1 aired the slur during two news broadcasts.
It came when a backing track from American rapper Childish Gambino – which included the N-word – was used in a package that was played on Newsbeat at 12:45pm and 5:45pm.
The audio was heard during a short clip in news bulletins that referenced the new Super Mario Galaxy Movie on April 1.
The musician – real name Donald Glover – is starring in the film. It is not clear which of his songs was used in the broadcast, however several of his tracks contain the slur.
A source explained of the incident: ‘A Childish Gambino track with the N-word in the lyrics was used during a news package played in two bulletins. It was an appalling oversight in the edit suite.
‘They have had to progress with all-staff training to prevent a repeat – but of course that’s thrown a spotlight on the incident.
‘After the fallout from the Baftas, this is the absolute worst-case scenario for the Beeb,’ they added when speaking to The Sun.
The publication has also reported that the BBC has now rolled out training for all staff to avoid similar incidents occurring again.
In a statement to Metro, the BBC issued an apology and said: We are very sorry this was broadcast.
‘We should not have included this clip in this news report, and we removed the clip from Sounds when we realised the error.’
The incident comes after the BBC came under the spotlight in February for airing the N-word during the 2026 Baftas.
The national broadcaster faced significant backlash after Sinners actors Michael B Jordan and Delroy Lindo were subjected to the racial slur while presenting at the awards.
The N-word was shouted involuntarily by campaigner John Davidson, who has Tourette’s syndrome, and soon after issued an apology in which he said he was ‘deeply mortified if anyone considers my involuntary tics to be intentional or to carry any meaning’.
Viewers tuning into the awards ceremony head the slur after the BBC failed to edit it out from the BBC One broadcast on February 22. It was also left up on iPlayer for several hours before eventually being taken down.
In an interview with Variety, Davidson has also said he had an ‘expectation’ the BBC would blur out his comments, also questioning why he’d been sat close by a microphone too.
The day after the awards, Bafta issued an ‘unreserved apology’ for the ‘very offensive language that carries incomparable trauma and pain for so many’.
Meanwhile the BBC also apologised, while its Executive Complaints Unit launched a ‘fast-tracked investigation’.
In March the BBC’s now former director general Tim Davie wrote a response to Dame Caroline Dinenage, chair of the Culture, Media and Sport (CMS) Committee, after they ‘sought an explanation’ for how a racial slur ended up in the broadcast ‘in spite of a two-hour time delay.’
As per PA, the letter he wrote explained: ‘‘I’d like to make clear: although the racial slur was symptomatic of a disability and an involuntary tic, it should never have been broadcast. It was a genuine mistake, and we take full responsibility for our error.’
‘Although this is the subject of ongoing review, our initial evidence gathering has found that no one in the on-site broadcast truck heard this when they were watching the live feed.
‘Because no one in the broadcast truck was aware it was on the live feed, there was therefore no editorial decision made to leave the language in.’
Metro has contacted the BBC for comment.
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