Viewers watching the BBC’s News at Ten on Monday evening were exposed to a woman’s naked breasts on a computer screen just yards behind presenter Sophie Raworth’s live broadcast.
An employee wearing headphones and slumped in his chair can be seen watching the woman undress in the raunchy scene. The woman wearing a black jumper appears to perform a strip-tease in front of a bare chested man.
The unexpected clip could be clearly seen by the show’s 3.8 million viewers. An oblivious Raworth was presenting a live piece on the England cricket team’s victory over South Africa when viewers noticed the woman on the screen behind her removed her bra.
Many viewers jumped to the conclusion that pornography was being played, though it is believed to have been from either a TV show or movie.
One person tweeted: “Why is there a porn video playing behind one of your news anchors during a report?”
Another person asked on Twitter: “Did I just see boobs on the News at Ten?”
A BBC source told The Sun: “This has gone down like a lead balloon at the BBC. It is totally unprofessional. It beggars belief that a sex scene should be played live on air.
“The employee is on borrowed time when bosses catch up with him.”
The BBC is said to be investigating the incident, adding: “We are establishing the facts.”