BBC newsreader Clive Myrie left "shaken" after receiving death threats
BBC newsreader Clive Myrie has opened up on the impact that receiving death threats and racist abuse has had on him.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs, the journalist and broadcaster told host Lauren Laverne he's been on the receiving end of vile abuse during his career, including being sent items such as faeces in the post.
Myrie also recalled receiving racist abuse via email, in addition to items such as "cards in the post with gorillas on" – noting that it had "picked up more" since he had become a presenter and "maybe a little bit more visible" on screen.
When speaking about receiving a death threat from an individual who was later prosecuted, he said the situation had left him "shaken".
Related: BBC to air Michael Mosley tribute episodes following death
"But one chap issued death threats, and he was tracked down and prosecuted, and his death threats involved talking about the kind of bullet that he'd use in the gun to kill me and this kind of stuff," Myrie recalled.
"I was shaken for a while after I'd been told, and I thought, 'Well, it's just, you know, someone showboating. It's just bravado.'
"And then they tracked down this character, and it turned out that he had previous convictions for firearms offences. So, [I] thought, 'My God, what, if anything, might this person have been planning?'"
Myrie is about to join Laura Kuenssberg to host the BBC's 2024 general election coverage, replacing Huw Edwards.
Related: Michael Sheen to make unexpected BBC game show appearance
It'll be the Mastermind presenter's first BBC General Election programme in the UK, and he said he feels a sense of "nervous energy" and is currently "getting [his] head around a lot of statistics" in preparation.
"But you know, we want to try and make it fun, too. It's not just gonna be a night for geeks, okay?" Myrie added of the team's approach.
"I hope it's not just a night for geeks, for political geeks. I want people to be able to tune in and get a sense of where this country is going, and the buzz of being on the frontline.
"This is the frontline of what it means to be British when it comes to the elections. And so there'll be an adrenaline rush that will keep me going, I'm sure – right through the wee small hours and into the morning."
You Might Also Like
