# BBC email blunder: Tony Livesey's incivility lesson

- **Episode:** [140](https://agents.truthliesandwork.com/episodes/140.md) (2024-10-29)
- **Type:** news-roundup
- **Tags:** bbc, email-etiquette, incivility, leadership
- **Time:** 2:31–7:27 (start 151s)
- **Listen:** [https://truthliesandwork.com/140?t=151](https://truthliesandwork.com/140?t=151)

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[2:31] Al Elliott: That was smooth. That was smooth. Okay, Lee, what you've seen this week?
[2:35] Leanne Elliott: Have you ever accidentally sent an email to the wrong person at work?
[2:39] Al Elliott: Yes, yes
[2:39] Leanne Elliott: And that sinking stick feeling that you get when you realise it's too late to do anything about it? Yeah, me too. Um, this week The Telegraph reported on this exact thing that happened to BBC Radio Live's Tony Livesey, who accidentally sent a scathing email about his co-host Claire MacDonald's presenting skills directly to her
[3:02] Al Elliott: Oh God, Tony
[3:03] Leanne Elliott: I know, we're all cringing for Tony right now. Um, but yeah, according to The Telegraph this week, BBC Radio 5 Live's Tony Livesey— Livesey, don't listen to Radio 5— Livesey reportedly, reportedly sent this email meant for somebody else directly to his co-host Claire. In it, he criticized her presenting style, with a source telling the newspaper, Claire received a message from Tony basically slagging her off and she was livid. She no longer wants to work with him and that has caused total chaos at the station, said source said. Um, understandable really. Um, since the blunder, Claire McDonnell has refused to work with him, leading to a major reshuffle at the station with presenters filling new slots to accommodate the fallout. Tony has also lost his coveted drive time position, uh, with Chris Warburton set to take over in December. Bit harsh, maybe. BBC spokespeople have been very clear and quick to downplay any direct link between this reshuffle and the feud. It's just a coincidence. Um, it's not really hard to connect those dots, though, is it? Um, another embarrassing public moment for the BBC, um, really. A few weeks ago, uh, another presenter, Laura Kuizenberg, mistakenly sent interview notes meant for colleagues to the guy she was planning to interview, which was actually none other than Boris Johnson, former Prime Minister of the UK himself
[4:21] Al Elliott: Oh
[4:22] Leanne Elliott: Um, ultimately, uh, Boris Johnson's team cancelled that planned interview
[4:26] Al Elliott: Why? What did she say? Was it like bad stuff about him, or—
[4:30] Leanne Elliott: Well, it was, it was things that maybe she was going to push him on and the angle of the interview that he did not think was cool
[4:36] Al Elliott: Right
[4:36] Leanne Elliott: Um, yeah, so it's all a bit tense at BBC Radio 5 Live at the moment. Um, as always, Al, I'm interested in the science behind this. What can we learn from these types of things, and why do incidents like this cause so much chaos? In the workplace. I mean, sending any unkind message about your colleague is a bit awks, but what it is in the psychology world is an example of incivility. And incivility in the, in the workplace basically means a lack of respect and professionalism that instantly erodes working relationship. And when these toxic relationships continue, they can lead to reduced commitment to colleagues, dips in morale, and eventually increased turnover. What can you do about it as a business leader? You might have this situation rumbling on in your business. Disagreements are inevitable, of course they are. They don't have to spiral into ongoing tension. And actually, studies show that effective communication and clearly enforced policies can lay the groundwork for a civil work environment. Basically, you want to provide your employees with clear guidelines on respectful conduct and help everyone understand what is expected. That will reduce the chance of any disputes escalating. I've said it before, I'll say it again— culture is defined by the worst behaviors tolerated. The recent research also points to the importance of leadership roles in setting the tone. So when leaders model respect and civility, they create workplace where these values are prioritized. It's not enough to simply say the right things. Employees need to feel that they have safe channels to voice concerns and feel genuinely heard. If anyone's been following the BBC over the last few years and the shocking news stories we've heard about a lot of the talent, one does have to the leadership and the current culture at the BBC. Our thoughts
[6:18] Al Elliott: I don't know, if I feel like I want to vent about a coworker, then I would probably want to go and find someone trusted and vent to them. Is that wrong? Are you saying that I can't do that anymore?
[6:29] Leanne Elliott: No, I'm saying you just don't put it in writing
[6:31] Al Elliott: All right, so that's it. So it's just plausible deniability, is that what we're aiming at?
[6:36] Leanne Elliott: I think there's a difference between venting and with frustrations and then actually just slagging somebody off. I mean, ultimately Venting will probably not solve the issue long term. Venting might release that initial emotional buildup, but if you actually want to fix it, you're going to have to confront this person in a constructive manner to resolve whatever this conflict is so it doesn't escalate. It's not going to fix itself, do you know what I mean? And I think in terms of like putting stuff in writing, do you remember Nasty Nick off of the very first Big Brother?
[7:03] Al Elliott: Oh yeah, yeah
[7:03] Leanne Elliott: He said, you live by the sword, you die by the sword. You slag off your colleagues in writing and accidentally send it to them, You're just gonna have to take accountability for whatever the fallout is, I think
[7:13] Al Elliott: Quick tip. I was talking to my brother the other day, um, and, uh, I was telling him about this email address I used to have called angryal@ and my company name. Um, I think I might mention on the pod before, and if I was like annoyed with someone, then I'd send an email to the angryal. Anyway, I just set it up, so it just deleted