THIS is the awkward moment a Sky News reporter makes a gaffe on live TV outside No10 before being pulled off air.
Sophy Ridge said “call the gallery” after she lost sound as she reported on Angela Rayner’s resignation from Downing Street yesterday.
Sky News reporter Sophy Ridge experience technical issues during the live broadcast[/caption]
The presenter said she’d lost all sound before the screen went black[/caption]
Ms Ridge was interviewing journalist Anne McElvoy via a video link[/caption]
The deputy PM stood down after admitting to underpaying on stamp duty by a whopping £40,000 on an £800,000 seaside flat in Hove.
It comes as Sir Keir Starmer continues his Cabinet reshuffle today, with even more ministers potentially facing the chop.
During the awkward moment on Friday, Ms Ridge was interviewing fellow journalist Anne McElvoy – who was explaining how Reform UK leader Nigel Farage could benefit from the resignation when the tech issues started.
“I’ve lost the sound of Anne McElvoy,” Ms Ridge said, with her interview speaking remotely over a video call.
“I’m just going to step out of this shot because I can’t hear anything,” the broadcaster continued, looking confused.
She added: “Can someone call the gallery now because I don’t know if I’m on air or anything?
“Is the feed totally gone? Am I not on air?”
The screen then cut to black before the broadcast returned to the studio and presenter Gareth Barlow.
Writing on X, one user said of the awkward situation: “Someone yanked the power out of that camera quick smart.”
It comes as Ms Rayner maybe forced to sell her seaside flat, with her resignation leaving her facing a major salary cut, according to the Daily Telegraph.
Her bombshell departure amid the sleaze probe could see her annual incoming by £67,000.
A watchdog report found Ms Rayner breached the ministerial ethics code after she failed to seek specialist tax advice for her property purchase.
Her political rivals are also calling for her to forfeit her £16,876 severance payment, which could put her at further risk of difficulties in paying her mortgage.
Up until yesterday, the politician had access to her grace-and-favour Whitehall flat in Admiralty House, on top of her £650,000 constituency home in Ashton-under-Lyne and the £800,000 Hove pad.
Ms Rayner resigned from her posts yesterday, as well as her role as Deputy Labour Leader.
In her resignation, she said: “I deeply regret my decision to not seek additional specialist tax advice given both my position as
Housing Secretary and my complex family arrangements.
“I take full responsibility for this error.
“I would like to take this opportunity to repeat that it was never my intention to do anything other than pay the right amount.”
She added: “For a teenage mum from a council estate in Stockport to serve as the highest level of government has been the honour of my life.
“The challenges of government are nothing compared to the
challenge of putting food on the table and getting a roof over our head when I brought up kids working as a home help.”
Deputy PM Ms Rayner was forced to step down yesterday following a sleaze probe[/caption]