BBC confuses cabbie for scheduled TV guest

UPDATED (5/16/06)...See note before video below.

The BBC put a cabbie waiting for his fare in the reception area of the Television Centre on live TV to discuss the recent decision in the lawsuit between the Beatles' Apple Corps and Apple Computer, Inc. Apparently, they confused the black man with a French accent for technology expert Guy Kewney, who is white, bearded and a regular BBC contributor.

If you read this story from The Mail, you can watch the actual video of the interview. The cabbie's reaction when they introduce him as Guy Kewney is classic!

Mr Kewney, an IT journalist and founder of newswireless.net, watched as the cabbie, who has not been named, gamely attempted to answer questions fired at him by BBC consumer affairs correspondent Karen Bowerman.

The man, who had been waiting for his fare in the reception of Television Centre, found himself being ushered into a studio and fitted with a microphone after raising his hand when a producer called out the name Guy Kewney.

On his website, the real Mr Kewney, said that the man "seemed as baffled as I felt" when asked about the consequences of the lawsuit live on BBC News 24.

It is unclear why the driver identified himself when Mr Kewney's named was called but it is thought he had been waiting to pick the computer expert up.

What's funny is that this is apparently common at the BBC...even with BBC Wales. During production of the last season of "Doctor Who," a politician at the BBC Wales studio for an interview was confused for an extra and was seconds away from being turned into a tree-like alien creature for a "Doctor Who" episode.

NOTE: According to this AP story (via CNN.com), the mystery guest turned out not to be a cabbie as initially reported. His name is Guy Goma (same first name as Mr. Kewney) and he was at the BBC Television Centre to apply for a technology-related job. I hope the BBC hires him after all that.

Getting back to the confused cabbie, you can watch the video below that I ganked from YouTube (this was apparently packaged by the BBC to explain the mix-up to viewers).