BBC presenter Matt Chorley has issued an apology for incorrectly quoting Nigel Farage during a Newsnight interview about the murder of Henry Nowak.
Chorley, while interviewing Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, attributed the phrase "white cold rage" to Farage. However, Farage had actually used the term "pure cold rage" in a video address urging a measured public response to the killing.
Reform UK argued that Chorley's misquote injected a racial element into Farage's statement, distorting its meaning. Chorley acknowledged the error on X, stating: "This was a mistake on my part, a misremembering of the quote. It didn't change the content of the interview but I should have got the quote right. I apologise to Nigel Farage for this."
The BBC also issued a formal apology to Farage and confirmed the episode has been removed from BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds. An on-air apology is scheduled for Wednesday's edition of Newsnight.
Farage responded on X, revealing his legal team has written to the BBC demanding a full on-air apology and an investigation into what he called "defamatory comments." Reform UK's letter to the BBC claimed the misquote "converts a criticism of discriminatory conduct by the authorities into an apparent appeal to race."
The case involves the murder of 18-year-old Henry Nowak in Southampton, whose killer initially lied to police claiming to be a victim of a racist attack. Bodycam footage released this week showed officers expressing doubt when Nowak reported being stabbed. The police handling has sparked national outcry, with 11 officers injured during protests in Southampton on Tuesday night.
Chorley joined the BBC in 2024 from Times Radio and presents a weekday show on BBC Radio 5 Live, as well as serving as a Newsnight presenter.