Viral footage shows a BBC News anchor – who is seemingly unaware she is live on air – flashing her middle finger as she opens a bulletin.
Maryam Moshiri can be seen raising her eyebrows and flipping off the camera as she comes on-screen after the programme’s famous musical countdown ends.
Moshiri, one of the network’s chief presenters, seems to quickly realise she is live and snatches her hand away before beginning to read out the headlines about Boris Johnson.
‘Live from London, this is BBC News,’ she says, having swiftly adopted a more serious demeanour.
Viewers have reacted online, with some suggesting that the motion showed a lack of professionalism while others joked that they felt the same about their work.