Viewers see emotional newsreader fight tears as she announces deaths
‘I’m so sorry, this is terrible news obviously’
‘[She was] unafraid to be human ... [showing] dignity, empathy and professionalism’
A VETERAN BBC newsreader fought back tears as she announced the deaths of the three young boys who fell into a frozen lake.
The boys aged eight, 10 and 11 died after falling into the icy water in Solihull, West Midlands, while a fourth boy, aged six, is fighting for his life, police confirmed yesterday. The four youngsters were taken to hospital in a critical condition after suffering cardiac arrests after falling through ice at Babbs Mill nature reserve at 2.30pm on Sunday.
Police said searches of the lake are continuing in order to establish whether anyone else fell into the water, after reports that as many as six children may have been involved.
As BBC journalist Joanna Gosling, 51, delivered the news of the deaths live on air yesterday, she appeared visibly upset and, after a pause, said: “I’m so sorry, this is terrible news obviously.”
She described the deaths as very “shocking” and “very sad”.
This is the second time this year that the BBC presenter has been overcome with emotion while reading breaking news live on air.
In March, BBC audiences could hear her voice tremble as she announced that Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a mother-of-one, was at Tehran Airport after her passport was finally returned to her by Iran’s authorities.
Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe and fellow prisoner Anoosheh Ashoori were unexpectedly released after six and five years in prison respectively.
While announcing the breaking story live on BBC News, Ms Gosling became visibly overcome and had to pause the announcement, saying: “Sorry, this is a moving moment because these are people who have been detained for some time.
“Nazanin Zaghari-ratcliffe has been held for nearly six years in Iran and her husband has worked tirelessly to secure her release.”
She later apologised on-air after becoming teary-eyed while breaking the “moving” news that Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe “is heading to Tehran airport and on her way home”.
Ms Gosling is herself a mother of three daughters, Maya, Iona and Honor, who she shares with Sir Craig Oliver, her ex-husband.
He was David Cameron’s former director of communications in No 10 for five years from 2011 as well as leader of the official Remain campaign during the EU referendum. He was famously played by Rory Kinnear in the hit Channel 4 film Brexit: The Uncivil War.
Following this latest emotional outburst by the BBC journalist, who has previously worked at Capital Radio, Central Television and Sky News, viewers praised Gosling, who has been with the BBC since 1999, “for being unafraid to be human”, saying she showed “dignity, empathy and professionalism”.
Downing Street has called the deaths of the children “tragic”.