ITV has apologised after one of its reporters was filmed swearing and threatening to “bang out” a member of the public who disrupted him during a live broadcast.
Callum Watkinson, a reporter at ITV Central, launched into the tirade during filming next to Centenary Square, Birmingham, after a man apparently deliberately disrupted a live broadcast by walking into the back of the shot.
ITV said the matter was being dealt with internally and apologised for any offence caused.
During the 53-second clip, widely shared on Twitter, Watkinson can be heard saying: “If you get behind me again I will fucking bang you out, do you understand me?” and asking him whether he had a job.
He asked the man: “I’m just trying to do a job. Have you got a job?” and added: “Where do you work? Footlocker or McDonald’s?”
He went on to say: “How about sorry for trying to mess up my work? How about that? Do you know how hard it is to broadcast live to half a million people?”
Watkinson gesticulated an action suggesting the man had disrupted filming by getting into the back of shot and trying to attract attention.
“Do you know how hard it is to concentrate? It’s quite hard without someone in the background going: ‘Ooooh, I want to be on TV,’” Watkinson said, while a camera operator stood by.
After criticism of Watkinson’s behaviour, a spokesperson from ITV said: “ITV has spoken to the reporter and the matter is being dealt with internally. We apologise for any offence the comments have caused and will not be commenting further at this time.”
