Sky News moment as f-word slips live during Walliams segment

A live moment on Sky News turned into a brief viral moment Saturday when Arts and Entertainment Correspondent Katie Spencer muttered an expletive while introducing a segment about David Walliams. As the segment began, Spencer appeared to lose her place and, off-air, said, “oh f*** it, I’m going to start again,” before the camera cut away. The on-air slip was captured by viewers and quickly circulated on social media, drawing a flood of reactions from viewers who noted the perils of live television.

The exchange occurred during Sky News Breakfast, a program that pairs national news with lighter coverage from the entertainment desk. After the cut, the broadcast returned to the newsroom, where Kamali Melbourne and Anna Jones were presenting. The moment prompted viewers to replay the clip and comment on the pressure of live television, with some noting the awkward timing given the day’s news cycle surrounding Walliams.

Melbourne, who later addressed the slip on air, reacted with a restrained sense of humor. He looked toward his co-presenters, raised his eyebrows, and said, “Yeah, so, apologies if you heard any bad language there—we will check that out.” He then turned to Sky’s sport presenter Jacquie Beltrao and quipped, “But Jacquie’s joined us—no bad language Jacs.” Beltrao replied, “No bad language from me,” as the team pivoted back to the program.

The gaffe came as coverage focused on renewed allegations against Walliams, the former Britain’s Got Talent judge and author known for popular children's books. HarperCollins confirmed it would no longer publish Walliams’s works following an internal investigation prompted by accusations made in 2023. In addition, the BBC said it has no plans for future projects with him, dealing another setback to any hoped-for television or stage comeback for the comedian.

Walliams has denied the allegations against him. According to reports, he remains on a break in the Maldives with his 12-year-old son, Alfred, as the industry questions the trajectory of his career in light of the ongoing controversy.

The episode underscores the tightrope walk of live newsrooms when dealing with sensitive entertainment coverage. While the morning program returned to its regular cadence, the incident provided a reminder of how quickly moments can move from routine to meme-worthy, even as the broader story around Walliams continues to unfold across publishing and broadcasting platforms.

In the wider context, media outlets have been reevaluating collaborations with Walliams as the alleged incidents remain part of a longer-running discussion about workplace behavior in the industry. The weekend's on-air moment drew attention not for the subject of the segment—Walliams’s alleged misconduct—but for the human moment at the desk when a slip of the tongue briefly upstaged the day’s headlines.