BBC Removes 'Have I Got News For You' Episode After False Digital ID Claim by Victoria Coren Mitchell

Victoria Coren Mitchell, host of the BBC satirical panel show "Have I Got News For You," apologized after an episode was temporarily removed from BBC iPlayer due to an erroneous claim she made about Labour's digital ID card scheme. During the show, she incorrectly stated that Multiverse, a company founded by Tony Blair's son Euan Blair, had been chosen to run the digital ID cards project. Fact-checkers and both the government and Multiverse clarified that this claim was false, noting Multiverse is an upskilling company and not involved in software development or the government scheme. The BBC acknowledged the mistake, apologizing for the error and removing the episode to edit out the inaccurate segment before re-uploading it. Coren Mitchell addressed the mistake on social media, emphasizing that the claim was incorrect and noting the good news for social mobility despite the error. The government has not announced any external partners for the digital ID project, which is expected to be developed in-house, although there has been speculation about potential opportunities for tech firms.