Moment gaffe-prone BBC news presenter Maryam Moshiri pretends to be a PEACOCK live on air... after declaring 'I've been told not to'

Daily Mail​

07-07-2025

After Maryam Moshiri's middle finger blunder live on TV two years ago, it would have been safe to presume she would want to avoid any such similar gaffes.
But the BBC News presenter has made somewhat of a running joke about her unexpected on air performances - despite her producer's better judgement.
The 47-year-old did a peacock impression while presenting a story yesterday evening, raising her hands to her ears and making a high-pitched squawking sound.
The hilarious imitation came before a news package about a disruptive peacock terrorising residents in Wiltshire with its loud bird call and tendency to chew through vegetable gardens.
She prefaced the impression with: 'I've been told specifically from my producer to not do an impression of a peacock so I'm going to do it anyway.'
'There we go, how amazing is that,' she added afterwards.
Ms Moshiri responded to a video of the imitation that was circulating on X by writing 'waiting for that call from BBC2, asking me to present my own birdwatching show…. Errrrr… still waiting'.
It is not her first time dabbling with bird impressions, having attempted a seagull call while reporting on Seagull Boy last year, who had won an award for his impersonation of the creature.
The hilarious imitation came before a news package about a disruptive peacock terrorising residents in Wiltshire with its loud bird call and tendency to chew through vegetable gardens
The newsreader became an online sensation in the last 18 months thanks to her on-air botches, deadpan humour and ability to laugh at herself.
Ms Moshiri first caused shockwaves in December 2023 when she gestured her middle finger at the camera before reading out the top of the hour headlines.
In an extended video released after the slip up, Ms Moshiri was seen making a series of exaggerated gestures with her hands before reaching 'one' and appearing to 'flip off' the camera.
The veteran presenter said the gaffe was 'private joke' with crew and issued an apology after the end of the clip was broadcast live.
She said: 'I was joking around a bit with the team in the gallery.
'I was pretending to count down as the director was counting me down from 10-0.. including the fingers to show the number. So from 10 fingers held up to one...
'When we got to 1 I turned finger [sic] around as a joke and did not realise that this would be caught on camera. It was a private joke with the team and I'm so sorry it went out on air [...] I wasn't 'flipping the bird' at viewers or even a person really.'
She later denied that she or the BBC had released the extended video, writing on Twitter: 'So someone released the full video! It wasn't the BBC who released this and it certainly wasn't me!
'But in a way I think I'm glad this is out there, as it shows I WAS having a bit of a joke with the crew during the countdown. Again, so sorry it went out on air. It was meant to be a private laugh.'
Despite causing a stir at the time, Ms Moshiri was able to poke fun at the scandal with a mocked up New Year's countdown with her blunder projected on to the London Eye only weeks later.
She added a caption alongside the snap reading: 'I'm letting someone else do the countdown tonight ! I'll be home with the family .. wishing you all a wonderful New Year. May you all enjoy health and happiness in 2024'.
In May that year, Ms Moshiri brought joy to Eurovision fans after she suffered another mishap on air.
The presenter was seen batting her assistant away as he tried to fix the host's hair after the cameras have started rolling.
The presenter then recovers from the blunder and delivers the start of the bulletin hours ahead of the beginning of the contest.
In response to the post on X showing the mix-up, Ms Moshiri said: 'Omg I can't believe this happened. There is a delay and everyone was so worried about my messy hair! @MarvinNadalutti your hand is famous!'
In other such amusing on air performances, Ms Moshiri has bent a metal spoon as a test of strength during a segment which showed a man crushing a frying pan with his hands as well as trying to represent the size of a blue moon.
Ms Moshiri also recently gave herself the title of England's Strongest Newsreader after bending a spoon back on itself live on air
Unfortunately, she didn't have footage or a photo to show viewers at the time, which may have left some people wanting - but she had a backup plan.
Raising her hands in front of her, she made a spherical shape and told her audience: 'It looked a little bit like this, there you go.'
She has also had a coughing fit while reading the bulletin but soon had to 'give up' and cut to the news package.
Taking to X to explain her latest gaffe, she wrote: 'When you get that horrible tickly throat and coughing fit - but you are broadcasting! Had to give up after a bit!