DUBAI: With the news being a constant source of horror and tragedy, BBC viewers were surprised — and perhaps relieved — to tune into two minutes of silence this week as a technical glitch hampered the channel’s 10 p.m. bulletin on Tuesday.
The BBC broadcast roughly two minutes of veteran presenter Huw Edwards checking his computer in silence.
Through Wednesday, Twitter erupted with jokes, memes and laughter over the incident, while many praised Edwards for his no-nonsense handling of the situation.
Huw Edwards accidental two minutes of silence at the start of BBC News At Ten is weirdly compelling. Quality TV. pic.twitter.com/USyKM53HkO
— b3ta (@b3ta) June 20, 2017
BREAKING: BBC News, apparently.
— Scott Reid (@scottreid1980) June 20, 2017
The News at Ten just can't take it any more. It's hiding in a cupboard weeping.
— Tom Sutcliffe (@tds153) June 20, 2017
#bbcnews
It's Theresa May's turn as guest editor.— ReportingPolitics (@report_politics) June 20, 2017
BBC editor Paul Royall later tweeted that the period of silence was caused by a technical crash mere seconds before the broadcast.
FYI technical system crash seconds before 10. Director had to switch to a back-up system ASAP. @huwbbc doing great job #BBCNewsTen
— Paul Royall (@paulroyall) June 20, 2017
