Man to sue BBC over accidental live interview 17 years ago: ‘that clip made them richer’
- Guy Goma arrived for a job interview in 2006, but he was mistaken for a technology journalist and ended up talking live on air about an Apple legal dispute
- The blunder was viewed 5 million times on YouTube, but Goma says he hasn’t received any royalties and didn’t get the job because he missed the interview
A man who became an early internet sensation after the BBC interviewed him live on air by mistake says he is planning to sue the corporation over lost earnings from the clip.
Guy Goma turned up at the corporation’s headquarters for a job interview in 2006, but when he arrived he ended up being interviewed on the BBC News Channel about internet music downloads.
He had been mistaken for technology journalist Guy Kewney, who had been booked to talk about a legal dispute between Apple Corps and Apple Computers.
The blunder has been viewed more than five million times on the broadcaster’s YouTube channel but Goma told a podcast he has not received any royalties arising from the interview.
He told the Accidental Celebrities podcast: “I contacted them, they didn’t answer me. Did they pay me for that interview? No.
“They are waiting for me to take them to the court.”