Paxman apologises for on-air swear word

BBC broadcaster Jeremy Paxman was forced to apologise last night after he used a swear word live on Newsnight.

The presenter was interviewing journalist Andrew Rawnsley, whose book The End Of The Party has triggered accusations of bullying against Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

Reading a passage from the book, Paxman said: "Brown went berserk with [US political advisor] Bob Shrum. 'How could you do this to me, Bob?' Brown screamed at a shaking Shrum. 'How could you f**king do this to me?"'

Immediately after reciting the quote, Paxman was told by his editor to issue a full apology for repeating the swear word.

"Apparently I'm told by our editor I have to apologise for quoting what you said the Prime Minister said, so honour satisfied now," he said during the live broadcast.

In a subsequent statement, a BBC spokesman stressed that the programme was post-watershed and that Paxman had "apologised immediately".

"During a post-watershed interview with Andrew Rawnsley, Jeremy read a direct quote from his book which contained an expletive," he said.

"He apologised immediately to anyone that may have found it offensive."