BBC presenter mistakenly refers to colleague as TV character ‘Ally McBeal’ live on air

In news that could only seem at home in 2019, a BBC newsreader accidentally referred to his colleague Aleem Maqbool as “Ally McBeal” live on air.

Presenter Clive Myrie was introducing a segment about American actor Jussie Smollett, who has been arrested on charges of filing a false police report after claiming to be the victim of a racist and homophobic attack.

Introducing the segment, he said:

Chicago’s chief of police says the actor may have staged it all because he was dissatisfied with his salary.

Well Ally McBeal… er Maqbool is in Chicago for us tonight. Ally.

Ever the professional, Maqbool, the BBC’s North America correspondent, continued to deliver the report despite hearing the mistake.

Horrifyingly for the presenter, Twitter obviously noticed the blunder and, within minutes, #AllyMcBeal began to trend on Twitter.

Thankfully, Maqbool took the error in good humour.

Later on, the presenter also took to Twitter to address the mix up.

Everyone makes mistakes, right?

H/T: Shropshire Star

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