View source for Guy Goma BBC interview

{{Short description|2006 British television incident}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2023}}
{{Infobox event
| title                    = <!-- Title to display, if other than page name -->
| image                    = Guy Goma during the BBC interview, 2006.png
| image_upright            = 
| image_alt                = 
| caption                  = Guy Goma during the interview
| native_name              = 
| native_name_lang         = 
| english_name             = 
| time                     = 
| timezone                 = 
| duration                 = <!-- {{duration|h=x|m=x|s=x}} or {{time interval|date1|date2|options}} -->
| date                     = 8 May 2006
| venue                    = [[Television Centre, London]]
| location                 = 
| coordinates              = <!-- {{coord|LAT|LON|region:XXXX_type:event|display=inline,title}} -->
| also_known_as            = 
| type                     = [[Interview]]
| theme                    = ''[[Apple Corps v Apple Computer]]''
| cause                    = 
| motive                   = 
| target                   = 
| perpetrator              =
| first_reporter           = 
| budget                   = 
| patron                   = <!-- or |patrons= -->
| organisers               = <!-- or |organizers= -->
| filmed_by                = [[BBC News 24]]
| participants             = {{Plainlist|
* Guy Goma (interviewee)
* [[Karen Bowerman]] (interviewer)
}}
| outcome                  = 
| casualties1              = 
| casualties2              = 
| casualties3              = 
| reported deaths          = 
| reported injuries        = 
| reported missing         = 
| reported property damage = 
| burial                   = 
| displaced                = 
| inquiries                = 
| inquest                  = 
| coroner                  = 
| arrests                  = 
| suspects                 = 
| accused                  = 
| convicted                = 
| charges                  = 
| trial                    = 
| verdict                  = 
| convictions              = 
| sentence                 = 
| publication_bans         = 
| litigation               = 
| awards                   = 
| url                      = 
| blank_label              = <!-- or |blank_data= -->
| blank1_label             = <!-- or |blank1_data= -->
| blank2_label             = <!-- or |blank2_data= -->
| website                  = <!-- {{URL|example.com}} -->
| notes                    = 
}}
On 8 May 2006, Congolese-French '''Guy Goma''' (born 1969) was mistakenly interviewed on live television in place of technology journalist [[Guy Kewney]]. BBC News 24 presenter [[Karen Bowerman]] was scheduled to interview Kewney about the ''[[Apple Corps v Apple Computer]]'' legal dispute. Goma, who was a business studies graduate from [[Brazzaville]] in the [[Republic of the Congo]], came to the BBC to be [[job interview|interviewed]] for a job as a [[Data cleansing|data cleanser]].<ref name="BBC2021" /><ref name="Telegraph2017" /> The incident became one of the  [[BBC]]'s most widely reported [[blooper]]s.

== Interview ==
Goma was waiting in the main reception area of the [[Television Centre, London|BBC Television Centre]] in west London to be interviewed for a job as a [[Data cleansing|data support cleanser]] in the corporation's [[Information technology|IT]] department. At the same time, [[Guy Kewney]], a British technology expert, was in another reception area preparing for a [[live television]] interview on the subject of [[Apple Computer]]'s [[Apple Corps v Apple Computer|then-recent court case]] with [[the Beatles]]' record label, [[Apple Corps]]. The producer sent to fetch Kewney was told that Kewney was in the main reception area. When he asked the receptionist where Guy Kewney was, she pointed to Goma, even after he asked if she was sure this was the right person.

The producer had seen a photo of Kewney, but only had five minutes before the live interview was due to take place. He approached Goma and asked him if he was "Guy".<ref>"[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4774429.stm BBC News 'wrong Guy' is revealed] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070517175116/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4774429.stm |date=17 May 2007 }}", BBC News, 16 May 2006.<!--URL's link to video is dead--></ref> Hearing his first name, Goma answered in the affirmative. Goma was led to the News 24 studio. BBC staff put on makeup, and he was ushered to the television studio, where he was seated in front of the cameras and wired up with a microphone. Although he thought the situation was strange, he believed he was about to be interviewed for a job.

When introduced by interviewer [[Karen Bowerman]] as Internet expert Guy Kewney, Goma realised there had been a misunderstanding and was visibly shocked. Aware that he was on live television but not wishing to make a scene, Goma attempted to answer questions about ''Apple Corps v Apple Computer'' and its ramifications for the music industry as best as he could.<ref name="BBC2021">{{Cite web |title=The BBC's best accidental interview? |medium=1'46" video |publisher=BBC News |date=11 May 2021 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-36261996 |access-date=11 May 2021 |archive-date=12 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210512225307/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-36261996 |url-status=live }}</ref> Kewney, still in the waiting area, was shocked when he saw Goma interviewed in his place, though he was not able to hear the audio.

=== Aftermath ===
Twenty minutes after the television interview, Goma attended his job interview, which lasted ten minutes.<ref>Guy Goma, interview on [[GMTV]], 16 May 2006</ref> He was not hired.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/5029244.stm "'Wrong guy' loses shirt for Oxfam"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060706161920/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/5029244.stm |date=6 July 2006 }}, BBC News, 30 May 2006.<!--URL's link to video is dead--></ref>

As soon as the mistake was detected, the BBC recorded an interview with Kewney for later broadcast, which was never shown. The BBC instead brought in an alternative pundit, [[Rupert Goodwins]], for the next live slot on the topic.<ref>"[http://www.computing.co.uk/ctg/opinion/1819937/bbc-talks-ipod-people-identity-stolen BBC talks of iPod people as my identity is stolen] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211030000931/https://www.computing.co.uk/opinion/1819937/bbc-talks-ipod-people-identity-stolen |date=30 October 2021 }}" by Guy Kewney, ''[[IT Week]]'', 15 May 2006.</ref> Afterward, Goma appeared on BBC again in a follow-up interview, during which he apologized to Kewney for taking his spot.<ref name=":0" />

== Later history ==
On 16 May 2006, Goma appeared on ''[[Channel 4 News]]'' and was jokingly questioned by the presenter—introducing him as a Venezuelan citizen, a lawyer and a doctor respectively—on the topics of [[Hugo Chávez]], the release of foreign prisoners into Britain, and Britons seeking medical treatment abroad. On the same day, he also appeared again on BBC News 24, but this time in a planned interview to talk about his experience.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/nolavconsole/ukfs_news/hi/bb_rm_fs.stm?nbram=1&nbwm=1&bbram=1&nol_storyid=4985716&news=1&bbwm=1|title=Guy Goma recalls his experience|publisher=BBC News|date=16 May 2006|format=RealPlayer|archive-date=10 January 2007|access-date=16 May 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070110053034/http://news.bbc.co.uk/nolavconsole/ukfs_news/hi/bb_rm_fs.stm?nbram=1&nbwm=1&bbram=1&nol_storyid=4985716&news=1&bbwm=1|url-status=live}}</ref> He later appeared in a comedy skit on ''[[The Big Fat Quiz of the Year]] 2006''. Film producer Alison Rosenzweig stated in 2006 that she had begun developing a film based on his life, particularly this one incident, commenting "He's a fun, kind of internationally famous person that I think is an interesting source for movie material."<ref name="movie">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/5277722.stm?ls|publisher=BBC News|title='Wrong Guy' could inspire movie|date=23 August 2006|archive-date=25 August 2006|access-date=23 August 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060825121102/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/5277722.stm?ls|url-status=live}}</ref> As of September 2024, no such film has been produced. In 2022, Goma was interviewed on the BBC World Service's Outlook programme about his experience.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3ct353p|title=BBC World Service – Outlook, I was interviewed on live TV by accident|publisher=BBC}}</ref>

In 2016, ten years after Goma's appearance, the incident was named one of the BBC's most memorable interview bloopers, and some outlets noted that Goma's prediction that more people would be using the Internet to download music and other media they want was largely correct.<ref name="Telegraph2017">{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/2016/05/10/when-bbc-news-interviewed-the-wrong-guy---and-six-more-memorable/|title=When BBC News interviewed the wrong Guy – and seven more memorable bloopers|last=Boult|first=Adam|date=10 May 2016|work=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|location=London|access-date=11 March 2017|language=en-GB|archive-date=8 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108160133/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/2016/05/10/when-bbc-news-interviewed-the-wrong-guy---and-six-more-memorable/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/ten-years-on-a-lesson-in-thinking-on-your-feet-by-guy-goma/|title=Ten Years On: A Lesson in Thinking on Your Feet By Guy Goma – VICE|last=Golby|first=Joel|date=9 May 2016|website=[[Vice (magazine)|Vice]]|access-date=11 March 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Lewis |first=Simon |date=10 May 2016 |title=It's Been 10 Years Since the Wrong Guy Analyzed the Internet for the BBC |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |url=https://time.com/4325712/guy-goma-bbc-interview-wrong-guy-internet/ |access-date=18 December 2022}}</ref>

In 2023, Goma announced on a podcast that he would be suing the BBC for royalties.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Moloney |first=Charlie |date=2023-08-27 |title=Man in viral 2006 BBC interview mixup says he will sue for royalties |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2023/aug/27/man-in-viral-2006-bbc-interview-mixup-says-he-will-sue-for-royalties |access-date=2023-08-30 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> In October of the same year, Goma featured in the BBC trailer for series 66 of ''[[Have I Got News for You|Have I Got News For You]]'' playing the role of guest host as well as three of the four panelists.<ref>{{Cite web |last=McGeorge |first=Alistair |date=2023-10-02 |title=Hero mistaken for IT expert makes Have I Got News For You 'announcement' |url=https://metro.co.uk/2023/10/02/hero-mistaken-it-expert-bbc-interview-have-i-got-news-for-you-announcement-19591936/ |access-date=2023-10-06 |website=Metro |language=en}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Wikinews|Man mistakenly interviewed live on BBC News 24}}

=== Video ===
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070312005217/http://www.gm.tv/index.cfm?articleid=20632 GMTV interview]

=== Audio ===
* [https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5406177 Story from NPR ''All Things Considered'' program], 15 May 2006

{{DEFAULTSORT:Goma, Guy}}
[[Category:2006 in London]]
[[Category:2006 in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:May 2006 in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:BBC News]]
[[Category:Television events]]
[[Category:Interviews]]
[[Category:Homonymy]]
[[Category:Error]]