'He said it and I got the kicking': Sara Cox reveals SHE got the blame after Sacha Baron Cohen swore live on BBC Radio 1's Breakfast Show in 2002
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Sara Cox has revealed that she was blamed for Sacha Baron Cohen saying 'motherf***er' live on BBC Radio 1's Breakfast Show.
The broadcaster and author, 49, was just 27 years old when she had actor Sacha, as his controversial character Ali G, on the breakfast show in 2002.
The BBC was thrown into turmoil when, as part of a gag, Sacha said the f word 'clear as a whistle' live on air - during a slot which was regularly listened to by kids as young as four.
Speaking to Elizabeth Day on Tuesday's episode of the How To Fail podcast, Sara has shared her upset at the fact that she was the one who received the blame for the blunder - not the man who had 'stitched her up'.
'It was him,' she said. 'He was the one who said that on my show and I got the kicking. It was all about how I messed up rather than what he did to me.'
Sara Cox revealed on Tuesday's episode of the How To Fail podcast that she was blamed for Sacha Baron Cohen saying 'motherf***er' live on BBC Radio 1's Breakfast Show
The broadcaster and author, 49, was just 27 years old when she had actor Sacha on the breakfast show as his character Ali G in 2002 (pictured)
Recalling the incident, Sara said she was given a list of questions to ask Sacha/Ali and he had a script of the answers he would deliver.
Sara said the style of interview - with someone known to be controversial - would be handled very differently now, likely pre-recorded so the person could not pull such a a stunt live on air.
'My questions are really quite simple and his answers are kind of near the knuckle and a little bit racy and a bit cheeky, but it wasn't that outrageous for breakfast, it was fine,' she recalls.
Sara says that his gag involved trying not to swear on air by spelling out the word instead of saying it.
However the joke was that he mixed up the order, and spelled out 'mother' before saying 'f***er' clear as day.
Shocked by what he had said, and admittedly young at the time, Sara did not know how to handle the situation and said she was 'flailing'.
The incident caused outrage and a media storm brewed over how the BBC could broadcast such profanity.
But Sara has reflected on the reaction, and is now slamming how she was ridiculed for the incident rather than Sacha.
Speaking to Elizabeth Day on Tuesday's episode of the How To Fail podcast, Sara (pictured in 2003) has shared her upset at the fact that she was the one who received the blame for the blunder - not the man who had 'stitched her up'
Recalling the incident, Sara said she was given a list of questions to ask Sacha/Ali (pictured in 2021) and he had a script of the answers he would deliver
'There was no shame put on him for stitching me up,' she said. 'He really stitched me up.'
The interview went out just after 9am on the flagship show.
John Beyer, director of lobby group Mediawatch, said at the time that the incident was 'an absolute disgrace'.
He urged BBC executives and governors to 'take more of an interest in what's happening on Radio 1'.
'These kind of words are unacceptable day or night,' added John. 'Live interviews with people who have a reputation ought to be more carefully monitored.'
Sara has reflected on the reaction to the blunder, and slammed how blame was placed on her rather than Sacha (pictured as Ali G in 2001) for his publicity stunt
Liberal Democrat culture spokesman Nick Harvey MP also said: 'If you have someone like Ali G live, you are playing Russian roulette.'
Sacha was warned before transmission that swearing breaks BBC rules.
A Radio 1 source said of the appearance: 'We are rather embarrassed. Sara, her producers and the head of Radio 1 have discussed what happened.'
Insisting it was not Radio 1's usual practice to delay live interviews, a BBC spokesperson added: 'It may be that we choose a different show for him to appear on next time.'
