News reading is a talent and an art that requires a lot of practice and focus, but every human can make mistakes. However, those mistakes turn into disaster if recorded on live telecast.
ITV News presenter Kylie Pentelow was presenting a segment about Pope Francis’ Christmas Day address. What began as a usual news telecast soon turned into an uncomfortable segment.
Pentelow started the segment by telling viewers about Pope’s festive address which was mainly concentrated on prayers for pandemic victims. However, after a pan shot from the Pope’s address to the anchor’s face, she suddenly said that the Pope’s death was announced.
Upon realising her mistake, she quickly apologised and changed the segment.
Also read | Pope Francis prays for COVID-19 pandemic’s end, healthcare for all on Christmas
“The Pope’s festive address focused on his prayers for the pandemic to come to an end. He said vaccines should be made available to those most in need,” Pentelow reported on Saturday evening, before adding, “His death was announced… uh, excuse me.”
As soon as she made the mistake, viewers could observe a change in expression in the face of the anchor.
While some ridiculed her for this mistake, others supported the anchor and said ‘we all make mistakes’.
“Someone get this newsreader a drink STAT. We all make mistakes,” BBC broadcaster Scott Bryan tweeted in support of Pentelow.
Someone get this newsreader a drink STAT. We all make mistakes.
— Scott Bryan (@scottygb) December 25, 2021
“When I worked at ITN news we had to do practice runs for announcing the Queen’s death,” another broadcaster by the name of Jenni Regan explained on Twitter. “We had all the right obits ready but all the names were replaced with Mrs Brown to avoid mistakes like this.”
When I worked at ITN news we had to do practice runs for announcing the Queen’s death. We had all the right obits ready but all the names were replaced with Mrs Brown to avoid mistakes like this…
— Jenni Regan 💛 (@MsJenniRegan) December 25, 2021
During his Christmas address to the world from the St Peter’s Square in Vatican City, Pope Francis talked about pandemic victims, urged vaccine for poor countries and also talked about the ongoing conflicts in Yemen, Syria and Iraq and tensions in Ukraine and Ethiopia, and ‘unprecedented crisis’ in Lebanon.
“We have become so used to them (conflicts) that immense tragedies are now being passed over in silence; we risk not hearing the cry of pain and distress of so many of our brothers and sisters,” he said. “Son of God, comfort the victims of violence against women, which has increased in this time of pandemic. Offer hope to young children and adolescents suffering from bullying and abuse.”
