John Humphrys taken to task by Jo Swinson over Carrie Gracie remarks, in live BBC interview: 'Have you apologised, John?'

MP lauded after turning tables on 74-year-old broadcaster

MP Jo Swinson has been widely praised after taking BBC radio presenter John Humphrys to task live on air, over his disparaging remarks on equal pay at the BBC.

The deputy Liberal Democrat leader asked the veteran Radio 4 Today host whether he had apologised to former China editor Carrie Gracie, who resigned in protest at the organisation’s gender pay gap.

Humphrys was widely criticised after a leaked recording revealed him joking about the situation earlier in the month.

Ms Swinson was asked by Humphrys on the flagship news programme about the definition of sexual harassment and whether MPs needed training to be able to better identify boundaries.

“It’s not that complicated, sexual harassment is unwanted behaviour of a sexual nature,” she replied.

“There’s plenty of ways you can respectfully ask someone out without ... being crude and lewd and referencing them in a sexual way. This is about behaviour that’s sexual and inappropriate.

“The argument that it’s impossible to ask anyone out is just nonsense and a distraction really.”

As the interview closed, she quickly added: “Just while I’ve got you here John, can I just ask have you apologised to Carrie Gracie for the remarks that you made about equal pay.”

Humphrys replied: “I wrote an email to Carrie Gracie immediately after that exchange, yes I did, as a matter of fact I did. And she replied.

“Quite what this has to do with what we’re discussing here I fail to see but there we are. That has answered your question.”

Humphrys then ended the interview, calling her question “irrelevant”.

Ms Swinson also landed a number of veiled jibes during the exchange, including telling Humphrys she would like to think he knew what sexual harassment was “but I don’t think we should make those kind of assumptions”.​

Her comments have garnered widespread praise from MPs across different political parties, including former Conservative Education Secretary Nicky Morgan, who called his questioning of the relevance of the exchange “revealing”.

Labour MP Jess Philips also tweeted her encouragement, saying: “Well done.”

The exchange was the first time Humphrys has been publicly questioned over the remarks since the audio was leaked earlier in the month.

Humphrys was heard “joking” with North America editor Jon Sopel over suggestions he should take a pay cut to help remedy the pay gap at the institution.