It's been 20 years since the wrong Guy was interviewed by the BBC

The moment Guy Goma is introduced as Guy Kewney on live TV. (Supplied: BBC News) Link copiedShareShare articleIt's 2006 and Guy Goma has a job interview with the BBC. The data support cleanser waits patiently in the reception area of the BBC Television Centre in London for his interview with the IT department. He's approached by a BBC staff member who asks if he's "Guy". What happens next has been immortalised as one of the greatest live TV blunders of all time, because the staff member who approached Guy wasn't from IT, he was a producer for News 24. And the Guy the producer collected wasn't Guy Kewney, who had been booked to be interviewed on the program, but Guy Goma, who inadvertently went along for the ride. Thinking he was en route to his job interview, Goma followed the producer into the News 24 studio. He was quickly ushered onto set, mic'd up and seated in front of the cameras. Before he knew it, reporter Karen Bowerman introduced him as internet expert Guy Kewney, who was in the studio to discuss the Apple Corps v Apple Computer court case. "So what does this all mean for the industry and the growth of music online? Well, Guy Kewney is the editor of the technology website News Wireless. Good morning to you," Bowerman says. Goma's face says it all. He has realised he's in the wrong place. Guy Goma realising what has happened. (Supplied: BBC News) But, instead of outing himself, he politely replies. "Were you surprised by this verdict today?" Bowerman asks. "I'm very surprised to see this verdict ... I wasn't expecting that ... a big surprise," Goma stumbles. The interview continues and Goma answers the reporter's questions. The blunder would not be revealed until it was over. Twenty minutes later, Goma made it to his job interview with the IT department, but he didn't get the job. Despite that, 20 years and 8.4 million views on YouTube later, Goma says it was a "great experience". Goma may have finished the interview, but his body language "expressed everything", he recently told BBC Africa. "I thought, 'Okay, I don't want to embarrass anyone. I want to solve this one to make it right,'" he said. "I tried my best to breathe, keep calm, get control of the situation. The BBC published an article admitting to the ordeal a week after the fact. "Mr Goma said his appearance was 'very stressful' and wondered why the questions were not related to the data support cleanser job he applied for," the article stated. "It was only later that it was discovered that Mr Kewney was still waiting in reception, prompting producers to wonder who their wrong man was." Reporter Karen Bowerman thought she was interviewing internet expert Guy Kewney. (Supplied: BBC News) Goma, who went on to become an internet sensation in the early years of YouTube virality, said he had turned the disaster into a teachable moment. "To be honest, it was a great experience. From nobody to a legend," he said. In 2026, it's hard to ignore that although Goma was not the expert the BBC booked, his answer regarding the future of music downloads was spot on. "With regards to the costs involved, do you think now more people will be downloading online?" Bowerman asked. "You're gonna see a lot of people downloading to the internet and the website, and everything they want," Goma said. The inadvertent star, now 58, works for a disability charity. Guy Goma has teamed up with former BBC producer Elliott Gotkine to write a book about the incident. (Instagram: realwrongguy) In 2023, he said he was considering taking the BBC to court because he believed he should earn a share of any royalties the BBC had received from the interview. "Did they pay me for that interview? No," he told the Accidental Celebrities podcast. This year, Goma teamed up with the producer who collected him from the foyer, Elliott Gotkine, to publish a book about the saga. When asked about the book and his future, Goma had a simple reply: "I'm still going to be humble." Copy linkFacebookX (formerly Twitter)PromotionTop StoriesAngus Taylor promises permanent tax cuts and to reinstate all negative gearingTopic:Tax

It's been 20 years since the wrong Guy was interviewed by the BBC

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