Rita Ora suffers awkward moment on BBC Breakfast as she says ‘thanks Huw’ during interview

Rita Ora suffered an awkward moment on Friday’s BBC Breakfast as she accidentally said ‘thanks Huw’ instead of ‘thank you’ during an interview.

The singer, 32, appeared on the morning chat show to promote her latest album You & I and made an awkward blunder while chatting to Charlie Stayt.

The hitmaker accidentally said the name of presenter Huw Edwards, who was revealed as the presenter accused of paying £35,000 to a ‘vulnerable’ teenager in return for explicit photographs.  

During the interview, Charlie said: ‘You’re here doing publicity, this is the world you live in and at the same time you clearly guard your privacy.’

Rita then replied: ‘Yeah, thanks Huw.’ Realising what she said, she added: ‘Thanks Huw? Thank you, for noticing that.’

Awkward: Rita accidentally said the name of presenter Huw Edwards , who was revealed as the presenter accused of paying £35,000 to a ‘vulnerable’ teenager in return for explicit photographs

Gaffe: The singer, 32, appeared on the morning chat show to promote her latest album You & I and made an awkward blunder while chatting to Charlie Stayt

The gaffe quickly sparked commentary on social media as viewers reacted to the awkward moment.

One viewer said: ‘Not Rita Ora saying ‘thanks Huw’ on BBC Breakfast FFS’, while another added: ‘Who keeps rewinding the Rita Ora interview? @BBCBreakfast’.

A third viewer wrote: ‘Rita Ora saying ‘thanks Huw’ then quickly changes it to ‘thank you’ made me laugh’.

A fourth said: ‘Soooo Rita Ora says thanks to Charlie by saying ‘thanks Huw’ hilarious @BBCBreakfast’. 

Charlie did not react to Rita’s gaffe and the interview carried on with discussion of her album and marriage to filmmaker Taika Waititi. 

Mr Edwards’ wife wife Vicky Flind broke the news of his behaviour in a statement where she also said her husband had been taken to hospital as the controversy had a ‘serious’ effect on his wellbeing. 

She added that the 61-year-old is suffering from ‘serious mental health issues’ and ‘he has been treated for severe depression in recent years’. 

Edwards has spoken out publicly in the past about the issue that has affected him over the course of 20 years since 2002 and which was made worse after the death of his father in 2010. 

The Met Police confirmed on Wednesday it was no longer investigating the allegations against the seasoned BBC anchor as a ‘criminal offence’, shortly before Flind revealed his identity.

A statement from the force said: ‘Detectives from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command have now concluded their assessment and have determined there is no information to indicate that a criminal offence has been committed.’

The Met’s statement regarding the allegations said a number of parties had been spoken to, including the BBC, the alleged complainant and their family ‘via another police force’ and concluded there would be no further police action.