London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Sep 08, 2026

It's been 15 years since best worst case of mistaken identity on BBC News

It's been 15 years since best worst case of mistaken identity on BBC News

Today marks 15 years since Guy Goma was accidentally interviewed on BBC News.


The computer technician had been visiting the corporation for a job interview, however, in the mother of all mix-ups, he ended up being grilled on live TV after being mistaken for technology expert Guy Kewney.

Goma expertly managed the nightmare situation and when he realised he’d been brought in to comment on technology Apple Computer’s court case with the Beatles’ record label, Apple Corps, he attempted to answer the questions thrown at him.

His face upon realising he was on TV is one we’ll never forget.

But how did the whole shenanigan actually happen?

Goma had been waiting in the main reception area of the BBC Television Centre to be interviewed for a job as an accountant in the corporation’s IT department, according to reports.

Guy Goma didn’t shy away from answering questions like a pro


At the same time, Guy Kewney, a technology expert, was in another reception area gearing up for a live television interview on the subject of the Apple court case.

A producer was sent to get Kewney was told that Kewney was in the main reception area. When he asked the receptionist where Guy Kewney was, they pointed to Goma, even after they asked if they were 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. They approached Goma and asked him if he was ‘Guy’.

Hearing his first name, Goma confirmed he was Guy, and was then led to the News 24 studio, put into makeup, and ushered to the television studio, where he was seated in front of the cameras and wired up with a microphone.

Guy Kewney was the one who was meant to be interviewed


Although he thought the situation was strange, he still believed he was about to participate in a job interview.

The penny only dropped when Goma was introduced by interviewer Karen Bowerman as internet expert Guy Kewney, and he was visibly shocked by the mix-up.

Aware that he was on live television, Goma attempted to answer questions about the case and its ramifications for the music industry.

Meanwhile, Kewney was still in the waiting area and was shocked when he saw Goma interviewed in his place, though he was not able to hear the audio.

According to legend, Goma attended his job interview 20 minutes after the television blunder, but wasn’t hired.

Some time later, Goma and Kewney met.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
British Chambers of Commerce Calls for Business Rate Reform and Productivity Support
UK Farmers Warn Dry Summer Could Reduce Crop Yields and Push Up Food Prices
UK Rail Networks Hit by Widespread Delays After Major Signalling Failures
Matt Clifford Resigns as ARIA Chair After Conflict-of-Interest Scrutiny
UK and France Say Joint Border Operations Have Prevented More Than 48,000 Irregular Channel Crossings
UK Core Inflation Remains Above Expectations as Utility and Commodity Costs Stay Elevated
Jaguar Land Rover Considers Up to 4,000 UK Job Cuts Amid Automotive Industry Pressure
UK Government Pauses Local Authority Reorganisation for Legal Review
UK Public Borrowing Reaches £1.8 Billion in July, Adding Pressure Before Autumn Budget
Chancellor John Healey Puts Regional Devolution and Fiscal Discipline at Heart of UK Growth Plan
Counter-Terrorism Police Lead Salford Investigation After Two Teenagers Charged
UK Rejects Financial Reparations for Transatlantic Slavery
UK and Egypt Step Up Diplomacy Over Escalating West Bank Tensions
UK Pauses Council Reorganisation Across Four English Counties
Jaguar Land Rover Plans 4,000 Job Cuts in Major UK Restructuring
UK Unveils Planning and Regulatory Overhaul to Speed Infrastructure and Economic Growth
University of Bristol Opens £500 Million Innovation Campus
Families Give Evidence to Independent Review of Sussex Maternity Failures
Sweden Confirms Deportation of 458 British Citizens Over Post-Brexit Residency Rules
UK Launches £3 Million Challenge for Long-Duration Energy Storage
Reform UK Proposes £100 Billion in Spending Cuts and Brownfield Deregulation
Andy Burnham Warns Macron That EU Procurement Rules Could Hurt British Steel
Andy Burnham Faces Major Decision on Future North Sea Oil and Gas Drilling
SEND Support in England Projected to Reach One in 10 Pupils
England’s Housing Courts Struggle With Surge in No-Fault Eviction Cases
Violent Clashes Erupt in Portsmouth During Protest Against Asylum Processing
Three-Quarters of NHS Emergency Staff Report Regular Violence or Aggression
UK Considers Converting Female Prison Space for Male Inmates as Overcrowding Worsens
UK House Prices Record First Annual Decline in Nearly Three Years
UK Government Reassesses Policy Toward Israel Amid Calls for Diplomatic Shift
Reform UK Faces Police Scrutiny Over Alleged Foreign Donations Scheme
University of Bristol Opens £500 Million Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus
Online Bookmakers Accused of Privacy Breaches Through Cookie Consent Practices
Health Campaigners Urge UK Government to Abandon U.S. Pharmaceutical Agreement
Three-Quarters of UK A&E Staff Report Regular Violence or Aggression
Far-Right Demonstrations Target Portsmouth as Small-Boat Crossings Fuel Tensions
UK Records Hottest Summer on Record After Severe Heatwaves
UK Travellers Face Renewed EU Border Delays as Temporary Flexibility Ends
UK Rejects Calls to Pause AI Data Centre Expansion Despite Energy Concerns
UK Defence Figures Push for 3% Spending Target Amid Falklands Concerns
England Faces Rising Financial Pressure as Special Educational Needs Plans Surge
Metropolitan Police Consider Reform UK Probe Over Overseas Donations
Keir Starmer to Leave Parliament, Triggering By-Election
UK Treasury Weighs Windfall Taxes on Banks and Oil Companies Amid Bond Market Turmoil
Jaguar Land Rover to Cut Thousands of Jobs as UK Government Rules Out Bailout
OpenAI Unveils GPT-6 and Says: "We May Already Have Reached AGI"
Congressman Accused Andrew of Sex Crimes in the United States
Donald Trump: "I'm Glad Harry and Meghan Left the United States"
Spicy Food Is Linked to Lower Death Risk — but It Is Not a Miracle Cure
AfD Enters Saxony-Anhalt Election at 41% in Historic Test for German Politics
×