Guy Goma, the man who became an internet sensation after being mistakenly interviewed live on BBC News 24 in 2006, has said he intends to sue the broadcaster for a share of the royalties generated by the clip.
Goma, now 54 and working as a computer technician, had gone to the BBC for a job interview when he was mistaken for IT expert Guy Kewney. Business presenter Karen Bowerman thought she was speaking to Kewney, leading to a famously confused on-air exchange.
Speaking on the Accidental Celebrities podcast, Goma revealed he was never paid for the appearance, which has been repeatedly broadcast over 17 years. He said: 'I contacted them. They didn’t answer me.' He added that the BBC seemed to be waiting for him 'to take them to court' and that he plans to do so 'because of the money they made from it. They didn’t give me a single penny.'
Podcast hosts Josh Pieters and Archie Manners described the lack of payment as 'incredibly unfair'. Goma responded: 'They have been using it for nearly 20 years with no penny to me. When I see that they are paying people millions here and there, that clip made them richer.'
Goma, who now works for a charity supporting people with learning disabilities, said he is considering writing a book titled Wrong Guy. After the 2006 mix-up, he was initially thought to have been Kewney's taxi driver, but it later emerged he was at the BBC for an IT job interview. He later appeared in a follow-up interview to apologise to Kewney.
