Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
indy100
indy100
Entertainment
Liam O'Dell

A journalist named Phil McCann covered the petrol shortage and people can’t stop laughing

Phil McCann

(Picture: BBC Breakfast/iPlayer)

The “brilliant” moment BBC journalist Phil McCann reported on the petrol shortage has been pointed out by Twitter users online, in what some are calling another instance of “nominative determinism”.

After it was reported that some Shell petrol stations are running out of fuel - and BP, Tesco and Esso warned petrol levels were low as a result of a shortage of HGV drivers – McCann was at a petrol station in Stockport to give us the latest on supplies and the extent of ‘panic buying’ from the public.

Labels and plastic bags were placed on the pumps, and cars were shown pulling in only to drive away seconds later

“It’s very important to mention that this is not a shortage of fuel; it’s a shortage of drivers to deliver that fuel to places like this,” McCann stressed.

However, social media users were more focussed on the name of the reporter, which seemed like the most perfect coincidence:

When the social media reaction was pointed out to him by the BBC Breakfast presenters on Saturday, McCann replied: “Nominative determinism, isn’t that what it’s called, Jon? I saw it on Twitter, it was like being back in year nine, but there we go.

Sign up to our new free Indy100 weekly newsletter

“I would never fill a can in the back of my car with petrol, as apparently some people have been doing. That’s not the kind of thing I would do. Panic buying very much discouraged, but of course it hasn’t made a difference to places like this.”

‘Phil McCann’ has since gone on to trend on Twitter.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Story Behind Celia Walden's Viral 2022 Photo Explained—and Why It Struck a Nerve on Piers Morgan's Show
Piers Morgan storms off Uncensored after HSTikkyTokky shows a 2022 Instagram of Celia Walden, reigniting scrutiny of the manosphere and Morgan's persona.
International Business Times UK
International Business Times UK
Obama’s portrait was replaced by Trump’s assassination painting, but its new location is what’s setting the internet on fire
The Grand Foyer now has a new centerpiece.
We Got This Covered
We Got This Covered
Daredevil actor Charlie Cox definitively says he's not in Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Punisher and The Hand may be the only Daredevil characters to show up in Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Total Film
Total Film
Cat owner’s $1,500 vet nightmare ends with the most ridiculous diagnosis imaginable
The cat had a perfectly valid reason.
The Mary Sue
The Mary Sue
Sarah Michelle Gellar says the Buffy reboot script leak is "not correct" and fans shouldn't read it: "That stuff is really unfortunate"
Sarah Michelle Gellar doesn't want fans to seek out leaks of the canceled Buffy reboot
Total Film
Total Film
Kristin Cabot Makes Bomshell Confession About CEO Caught With Her On Coldplay Kisscam, Says She Was Lied To
“There was a big miss on honesty and integrity,” Kristin Cabot said in an interview with Oprah Winfrey.
Bored Panda
Bored Panda
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.
Download on the AppStore Get it on Google Play