‘Are they feeding you lines?’ The excruciating moment Emma Barnett challenges a Plaid Cymru candidate on BBC 5Live after microphones pick-up press officers whispering in the studio
- Fflur Elin was challenged over noise heard by the broadcaster this morning
- Pontypridd candidate admitted party media aides were with her in remote studio
- Ex-student leader denied being helped, said it was ‘a bit of background noise’
A Plaid Cymru election candidate was accused of having information fed to her live on air today after party aides were caught whispering in the background.
Fflur Elin, who is standing in Pontypridd, was discussing Welsh independence with Emma Barnett on BBC 5Live this morning when she was challenged over noise heard by the broadcaster.
Ms Barnet asked the former Welsh National Union of Students’ leader if they were ‘feeding you lines’ in the remote studio because ‘they seem to talk every time you are about to answer’.
Miss Elin denied that they were helping her, adding: ‘That’s strange, there must be a bit of background noise.’
Fflur Elin (right) was discussing Welsh independence with Emma Barnett (left) on BBC 5Live this morning when she was challenged over noise heard by the broadcaster
Later on in the interview Ms Barnett again challenged the young politician, asking: ‘Who is there in the studio with you?’
Ms Elin admitted there were ‘a couple of press officers here’, adding: ‘Sorry I think there is just a bit of background noise, I think they were just talking while we were… I think we thought the microphone was off there.’
Miss Elin is standing in the Welsh valleys seat vacated by Labour’s Owen Smith at the election.
She first stood in Pontypridd in 2014, when she got 4,000 votes to finish third behind Mr Smith and the Conservatives’ Juliette Ash.
It has been held by Labour for more than 100 years.