BBC Breakfast host Naga Munchetty backtracked on a comment after calling jokingly calling a guest’s wife “awful”.
Award-winning crime writer Sir Ian Rankin appeared on Thursday’s (October 6) show of BBC Breakfast to discuss his new book DI Rebus.
Siting on the red sofa, Sir Ian mentioned that he and his wife would be taking a break next year.
BBC Breakfast host Naga Munchetty backtracks
Ian revealed: “We were meant to take a year off and go travelling but COVID got in the way.”
Speaking about his wife, he added: “So she said: ‘Next year, no writing, no festivals, no tours, just travelling, just holidays.’ So I’m kind of looking forward to that.”
She sounds like an awful wife, doesn’t she.
To which Naga – famous for her dry sense of humour – replied: “She sounds like an awful wife, doesn’t she.”
In response, the author looked a little shocked and quickly said: “No, no she’s great – she’s done all the planning.”
Changing her stance, Naga backtracked as she laughed: “So she wants you to go on holiday and have a break.”
Naga, Charlie and Ian argue over puzzles
Before Naga introduced Ian on the show, Carol Kirkwood had been reporting on the weather.
Broadcaster Charlie Stayt then explained to viewers: “While Carol was talking about the weather, we were talking about jigsaws.
“Why was that I bet you’re thinking. Sir Ian Rankin sits down on the sofa and the next thing you know, we’re having an argument about jigsaws.”
Ian then joked: “What can I tell you? I could start an argument in an empty room.”
Charlie asked Ian: “Are you just naturally argumentative?”
To which Ian replied: “No, it’s just I like what other people don’t like and I’ve found out Charlie you don’t like jigsaws.”
“There’s something about a jigsaw that drives me mad because I’m not good at them,” Charlie explained. “But it just works for you does it?”
The author then explained that puzzles help him and his wife unwind, especially during the lockdown.
“My wife and I just found it was a good way of switching off, not thinking about COVID and stuff,” he said.
“My son would come around and he was part of our bubble, so the three of us could sit and do a jigsaw together and it became a sort of family thing.
“And always improving, because it was either art jigsaws or literary jigsaws.”
Charlie then asked Ian: “Is it because fundamentally you’re good at puzzles? Is there a thing there? You can work things out, you can plot things through.”
“Yeah, I mean, I like that at the end – as with a whodunnit – at the end you’ve got something that makes sense when you’ve started with something that doesn’t make sense, yeah,” Ian said in response.
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