If there’s one thing a news presenter never wants to do, it’s pledge fealty to our insect overlords. But second on that list is pull an Anchorman. That’s what BBC’s bird-flipping host Maryam Moshiri did, to the point where she signed off with Ron Burgundy‘s famous catchphrase.
Following a report about Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy giving a speech at a conference, Moshiri pivoted to a lighter story. “Now they are known for their big eyes and for being sleepy,” she said, according to the Mirror, before joking, “Am I talking about myself here? No sorry, no. Over the last 20 years, hazel dormice yes, hazel dormice have declined by about 70 percent across the UK. It is hoped a new project which sees them re-released into their natural habit could help to restore their population.”
Moshiri then interrupted herself to ask if it’s “habit” or “habitat” (it’s “habitat”). She continued, “I am probably going to get emails about this. Well, it is ‘habit’ on the autocue, so what can I say?” before signing off, “I’m Ron Burgundy,” a reference to 2004’s Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy.
You can watch the footage below.
This morning's light-relief-from-the-election "And Finally" story focused on hazel dormice, and @BBCMaryam had her Ron Burgundy moment.
It's great to see some "personality" returning to the channel when the mood permits. pic.twitter.com/tH3x0VPUv9
— Nathan Chard (@NathanEChard) June 11, 2024
In response to her miscue going viral, Moshiri tweeted, “I felt like a bit of a Ron Burgandy! Actually thought maybe ‘habit’ was a special word for a Dormouse’s ‘habitat.’ Sharply and quickly corrected by the team in my ear! What they put up with.” The main takeaway here: dormice are very cute.
(Via the Mirror)