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Outlook: I was interviewed on live TV by accident

Magazines & Reviews

Guy Goma

08/11/2022 GMT

I was interviewed on live TV by accident

BBC World Service - Outlook, I was interviewed on live TV by accident

Four stories of mistaken identity, from the man accidentally interviewed on BBC News, to the American journalist whose name was stolen by a murderer.

Four remarkable stories about curious mix-ups of identity.

Guy Goma walked into the BBC offices in 2006 for a job interview, but he was mixed up with a tech expert, and was put on air by mistake. Guy only realised the miscommunication once the cameras had started rolling. 

American journalist Michael Finkel unexpectedly came into contact with Christian Longo when he discovered that Christian, who'd been accused of murdering his wife, MaryJane, and their three young children, had also stolen Michael's identity. He became close to Christian as he investigated the charges against him. This interview was first broadcast in January 2018. 

Puneet Agarwal was working in telecommunications in Delhi, when he was mistaken for a Bollywood sex symbol – the actor Sunny Leone. It happened after she inadvertently read out his phone number in her latest film and Puneet started receiving calls from her fans. This was first broadcast in August 2019. 

Abby Stein grappled with her identity during her childhood in an ultra-Orthodox Jewish community in New York City, one of the most gender segregated societies in the world. Abby’s parents considered her their firstborn son but she was adamant that she was a girl. She wrote a book about her experiences called ‘Becoming Eve.’ First broadcast in January 2020. 

Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com

(Photo: Guy Goma during his 2006 interview on BBC News. Credit: BBC)

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