Vernon Kay Criticises BBC Colleague's 'Hideous' Personal Hygiene On Air
BBC Radio 2 presenter Vernon Kay has caused a stir by publicly calling out a colleague's 'hideous personal hygiene' during a live broadcast. The incident unfolded during a discussion with fellow presenter Scott Mills, but Kay firmly refused to identify the individual in question, stating 'we'll not go there'.
On-Air Exchange Sparks Hygiene Controversy
The revelation came after Scott Mills, 52, mentioned that an emergency pull cord in one of the Broadcasting House toilets was not functioning properly. Mills jokingly described this as a 'peak behind the curtain' at the BBC corporation.
This prompted Vernon Kay, 51, to make his pointed remark about the unnamed staff member. He told Mills: 'There's someone on this floor that has hideous personal hygiene but we'll not go there.' Mills immediately pressed for details, replying: 'Oh well let's go there.'
However, Kay quickly shut down any further speculation, stating: 'No, we don't need that conversation, we're not going to go there.' When Mills asked whether he was acquainted with the person in question, Kay responded: 'Well I hope not.'
Previous Cleanliness Complaints at BBC
This is not the first time Vernon Kay has raised issues about cleanliness at Radio 2. Back in 2024, he voiced frustration that somebody had been 'messing around with' his studio and 'ruined it' ahead of his show.
He suggested to listeners that Radio 1 might have been responsible, revealing he discovered the station's branded headphone covers scattered about prior to his programme. Kay jokingly decided he would 'just blame' Radio 1 Breakfast presenter Greg James, sparking suggestions he was 'insulting' Greg.
Unfazed, Kay challenged Greg James live on air, stating: 'Can you have a word with your team? It's a disgrace.' Greg rejected the accusations of disorder, responding: 'It's not me Vern, I've checked and it's not them either. I've checked everyone.'
Greg pointed towards the crew behind Radio 1's New Music Show as potential suspects, though he hinted it might be an internal matter. Kay countered: 'It must be someone, the mic muffs were Radio 1 muffs. We leave it all nice and spotless, we have a spirit level which makes sure everything is fine.'
Recent Injury Adds to Kay's BBC Anecdotes
Meanwhile, Vernon Kay recently disclosed that he sustained an injury whilst leaping down two steps at the BBC canteen, a move he frequently performed as a youngster. The incident served as a stark reminder that he's now 'of an age' and must exercise greater caution when attempting such antics.
The Bolton-born presenter explained: 'You've got to be careful when you're doing stuff like that. When you do things like that it makes you realise you're of an age. I did that giddy thing today.'
He continued: 'As you step down into the BBC canteen, there's just two steps. Now if you take yourself back to when you were 11, at high school, you would jump those two steps. You'd see the two steps and go 'wahey, I'm not going to step down the two steps, I'm going to jump down the two steps.' Well I unfortunately did that this morning.'
Kay added: 'Like a kid. Well my knees don't have the suspension they used to have when I was 11. They were like two fence posts and I felt it right in the hips. It went right up to the top of my spine. You just can't do it anymore. You just can't do it anymore.'
