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Man accidentally interviewed live on BBC instead of tech expert became an internet legend [1]

['Jason Weisberger']

Date: 2026-05-08  

Twenty years after accidentally being interviewed live on the BBC instead of the tech expert producers intended to book, Guy Goma is still remembered less as the victim of a TV blunder and more as the patron saint of pretending you know what's going on at work.

Twenty years later, the recollections are fonder. In the run-up to the May 8 anniversary, people are reposting clips of the moment. A book about it is out. And Mr. Goma is being celebrated as a folk hero of sorts for anyone who has ever found themselves ill-equipped for a challenge in the workplace.

"It captures this sort of anxiety that we all have about being thrust into a role we're not prepared for, but trying to perform competently anyway," said Rafal Zaborowski, a senior lecturer on digital culture at King's College London.

Mr. Goma's story began when he applied to the BBC for a job as a data specialist and was called in for an interview. He was waiting in the lobby when Elliott Gotkine, a producer at the British broadcaster's rolling 24‑hour news channel, approached him.

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[1] Url: https://boingboing.net/2026/05/08/man-accidentally-interviewed-live-on-bbc-instead-of-tech-expert-became-an-internet-legend.html

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