New Times,
New Thinking.

  1. Politics
  2. Media
1 February 2011

Watch: Paxman drops the C-bomb

Newsnight presenter becomes the latest BBC figure to utter the “C-word” live on air.

By George Eaton

Jeremy Paxman has become the latest BBC presenter to attempt to smash the taboo around the use of the “C-word”.

Introducing a Newsnight feature on UK Uncut, Paxman said: “Supposing, though, some of the people who ought to be paying taxes so the cunts, cuts aren’t so bad aren’t actually doing so.”

Paxman’s foul language follows that of the Today programme presenter James Naughtie, who misspoke while introducing Jeremy Hunt, an error repeated (purposely) less than an hour later by Andrew Marr.

Give a gift subscription to the New Statesman this Christmas from just £49

But with the Newsnight presenter recently railing against cuts to the BBC World Service, perhaps it’s no surprise that such intemperate language came to mind.

Content from our partners
Building Britain’s water security
How to solve the teaching crisis
Pitching in to support grassroots football