Nicky Campbell apologizes for homophobic slur in meeting

BBC Radio 5 Live presenter Nicky Campbell has issued an apology after using a homophobic slur during a work meeting last week. The incident occurred during a meeting with approximately six editors and producers of his show, where Campbell reportedly used the derogatory term multiple times while recounting an anecdote.

According to accounts of the meeting, Campbell was using the term in reported speech while telling a story, but its repeated use caused consternation among colleagues. An editor is understood to have apologized to staff after the meeting concluded, with Campbell himself subsequently issuing a second, direct apology to the team in a separate face-to-face meeting. A source described a mixed initial reaction, with some staff shocked and others laughing, but noted a growing backlash afterward from those who found the comment deeply offensive.

Campbell, a 65-year-old veteran broadcaster with nearly 40 years at the BBC, currently hosts the weekday phone-in program "Your Call" on Radio 5 Live. The BBC declined to comment on the incident or whether Campbell would face any disciplinary action. His representatives have also been approached for comment.