‘Tasteless’ Witchell sparks row

THE BBC was criticised for ‘extremely tasteless’ speculation about the Queen’s health early yesterday after it was announced that she was under medical supervision.

Royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell said it was ‘legitimate’ to question whether her reported mobility issues had been a ‘smoke screen’ to cover up more serious health concerns such as cancer.

He told host Huw Edwards: ‘Let’s be candid. Mobility issues don’t generally end a life. I think the suspicion – and it is only a suspicion and it has been for a number of months – [is] that there is some underlying condition.’

Viewers criticised the journalist, 68, for the comments. Barrister Rupert Myers tweeted: ‘Dear god BBC News can you stop Nicholas Witchell... from speculating on the specifics of the Queen’s illness? It is extremely tasteless.’ The BBC declined to comment.

It came as another BBC correspondent falsely announced that the Queen had died hours before it was confirmed. Yalda Hakim later apologised for the now deleted tweet.