- Guha has come under scrutiny after making a controversial comment on air
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One of the drawbacks of working on live television is that once they come out of your mouth you can’t take back your words.
It is human to make mistakes and all announcers make them, there is no doubt about that. Isa Guha’s mistake this week was saying the wrong word when referring to India fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah as the most valuable primate.
I know Isa and there would have been no malicious intent. You will notice that she apologized as soon as possible, which is what those above you tell you.
I’ve actually been through this, and in my experience, you are not only told to apologize, but how to do it, and your employers write the apology. I can’t say if this has been the case for Isa, but by the way, she has apologized to anyone she may have upset.
The problem today is that people wake up, expecting to be offended, and they let you know when they do. What wonderful lives they must lead!
Historically, it has been swear words that have surprised television presenters and commentators.
Isa Guha (pictured) referred to India’s Jasprit Bumrah as the most valuable living primate
Guha was quick to apologize for his comments about Bumrah (pictured), and his employers will have told him to do so.
I got into trouble with Sky Sports by mentioning National Orgasm Day, and the problem is that some people wake up expecting to be offended.
But not me. My misstep was simply saying something that Sky Sports as a company didn’t like. What was it? I thought I would mention on air that it was National Orgasm Day.
Being July 31, this was objectively correct, but word came from above that such a comment was inappropriate, so I was slapped on the knuckles, reminded of my responsibilities, and warned that this was not the kind of language that they used. I would like to hear it in your cricket coverage.
When a bad word comes out, you’re usually in some kind of trouble. The use of ‘bloody’ is quite acceptable, but it is not advisable to go further and certainly not as far as Andrew Strauss went, referring to Kevin Pietersen, 10 years ago.
When those with the Fox Sports app watching MCC vs. the rest of the world picked up the distinctive tone of Strauss calling Kevin Pietersen a ‘complete c***’ from the Lord’s commentary box, thanks to social media it went around the world . in minutes.
David Gower allowed the F-word to come out during the fifth Ashes Test of 2019. “I have no idea,” he said, apparently unaware that his microphone was on.
Gower is an extremely successful and experienced broadcaster, but the one thing they tell you, and instill in you, is that the microphone is always on. There’s always someone listening somewhere and they’ll pick it up. I use this as an example to emphasize that despite warnings, one is still vulnerable to making a mistake.
Isa can apologize all day, but the word is already out, and I know, to my cost, how damaging that can be, after being attacked by some malicious people for comments made in private.
I was very lucky to have very generous people who carried out research on my behalf. Life goes on and my opinion about Isa is that he simply said a word out of place.