Krishnan Guru-Murthy taken off air by Channel 4 News after calling Tory minister Steve Baker ‘a c**t’

Broadcaster says it takes any potential code of conduct breaches ‘seriously’

Channel 4 News presenter Krishnan Guru-Murthy has been taken off air for a week after he called Tory MP Steve Baker “a c**t”.

The journalist was suspended from presenting duties after a hot mic caught him insulting the Northern Ireland minister following an interview about the chaos engulfing Liz Truss’s government.

Mr Guru-Murthy later apologised for the comment, which he said was made in an “unguarded moment”.

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."

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

The presenter’s insult was caught on a livestream. He later tweeted: “After a robust interview with Steve Baker MP I used a very offensive word in an unguarded moment off air.

“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.” Responding to the tweet shortly afterwards, Mr Baker thanked the journalist for saying sorry. “I appreciate you apologising. Thank you,” he said.

But later Mr Backer said he thought the journalist should be sacked.

(Channel 4)

Mr Baker said: “I had an interview earlier with a journalist I don’t have a great deal of regard for, who I felt always 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.

“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 contact as a journalist and glad to do so any time.

“But it’s most unfortunate that he has 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.”