She’s gained a reputation for turning otherwise innocuous news bulletins into viral hits with her quirky and sometimes controversial on-screen antics.
And BBC presenter Maryam Moshiri has left her audience in stitches once again with a rather energetic segment about counting one’s steps.
On her Thursday slot, the host, 47, got viewers marching as she interviewed a health researcher about how aiming for 10,000 daily steps might be a bit over the top.
As the camera settles on the studio, Ms Moshiri can be seen jogging on the spot and saying: ‘I’m going to get my steps up. Yes, I’m doing this, don’t laugh.’
A group of backroom staff at BBC News are soon spotted through the glass screen in the background walking up and down in between the office computers.
‘And ooh, I see the newsroom has got into it as well,’ Ms Moshiri says. ‘And while we get the newsroom to talk to us, let’s talk to Borja Del Pozo-Cruz.’
At this point, the interviewee appears on screen via a video call – all the while, Ms Moshiri continues her impromptu exercise routine.
Barely breaking stride, she says: ‘Borja I’m going to try to get my steps up because, you know, that’s just the way I am – and my team behind me are also trying their best too – can I ask you what exactly made you start this study?’
BBC presenter Maryam Moshiri has left her audience in stitches once again with a rather energetic segment about counting one’s steps which saw her marching on the spot
She kept up the exercise routine even as she began interviewing a health researcher about how aiming for 10,000 daily steps might be a bit over the top
As Del Pozo-Cruz explains why 7,000 steps is more achievable and less intimidating for people looking to get healthy, the sound of Moshiri’s incessant stomping can be heard off-screen.
As she asks her next question, she continues the workout and turns around to face the newsroom to make sure her team are not slacking off.
‘My team are still doing this, as am I,’ she adds. ‘You’re saying this incentivises people to do more exercise because they don’t feel like they need to do as much as they had to before?
‘Why did it change from – I’m getting out of breath now, so unfit…’ she says, stumbling a tad on her words but showing no signs of halting her exercise regime.
‘My team is…serving the community by walking…can I just see what the team in the gallery is doing right now, please, can I?’
Like turkeys voting for Christmas, the gallery team switch the camera to show themselves in the back room and are mercilessly mocked for standing there, doing their job so inertly.
‘Guys, get up!’ Ms Moshiri says. ‘Come on. You’ve got to get your steps up…’
The crew then get to their feet, continuing to stare at the camera feed to make sure the programme can still run as they follow the host’s orders.
The newsroom team could also be seen through the glass screen keeping up with the demanding workout
And the gallery crew were not spared either, getting ruthlessly called out on air for daring to sit down on duty
‘…And…1,2,3,4…who’s the bestest in the world,’ the presenter adds as the gallery team become the latest members of BBC staff to join the workout.
Experts, influencers and fitness trackers have long touted 10,000 steps a day as the ‘perfect’ number to ward off obesity, cancer and early death.
However, 10,000 steps, equivalent to five miles, might not be the magic number. In fact, researchers in Australia suggest aiming lower.
In a new analysis of nearly 60 studies, experts found just 7,000 steps in a day was enough to lower the risk of dementia, heart disease and some forms of cancer. This adds up to roughly 3.5 miles.
The BBC News presenter has made something of a running joke about her unexpected on air performances – despite her producer’s better judgment.
The host did a peacock impression while presenting a story earlier this month, raising her hands to her ears and making a high-pitched squawking sound.
The hilarious imitation came before a news package about a disruptive peacock terrorising residents in Wiltshire with its loud bird call and tendency to chew through vegetable gardens.
She prefaced the impression with: ‘I’ve been told specifically from my producer to not do an impression of a peacock so I’m going to do it anyway.’
BBC News presenter Ms Moshiri did a peacock impression while presenting a story earlier this month, raising her hands to her ears and making a high-pitched squawking sound
She prefaced the impression with: ‘I’ve been told specifically from my producer to not do an impression of a peacock so I’m going to do it anyway’
The hilarious imitation came before a news package about a disruptive peacock terrorising residents in Wiltshire with its loud bird call and tendency to chew through vegetable gardens
‘There we go, how amazing is that,’ she added afterwards.
Ms Moshiri responded to a video of the imitation that was circulating on X by writing ‘waiting for that call from BBC2, asking me to present my own birdwatching show…. Errrrr… still waiting’.
It is not her first time dabbling with bird impressions, having attempted a seagull call while reporting on Seagull Boy last year, who had won an award for his impersonation of the creature.
The newsreader became an online sensation in the last 18 months thanks to her on-air botches, deadpan humour and ability to laugh at herself.
Ms Moshiri first caused shock waves in December 2023 when she gestured her middle finger at the camera before reading out the top of the hour headlines.
In an extended video released after the slip up, Ms Moshiri was seen making a series of exaggerated gestures with her hands before reaching ‘one’ and appearing to ‘flip off’ the camera.
The veteran presenter said the gaffe was ‘private joke’ with crew and issued an apology after the end of the clip was broadcast live.
She said: ‘I was joking around a bit with the team in the gallery.
The latest broadcasting mishap was not Ms Moshiri’s first with the BBC presenter making the headlines for showing her middle finger to the camera during a programme
Ms Moshiri had also previously attempted a seagull call while reporting on Seagull Boy last year, who had won an award for his impersonation of the creature
‘I was pretending to count down as the director was counting me down from 10-0.. including the fingers to show the number. So from 10 fingers held up to one…
‘When we got to 1 I turned finger [sic] around as a joke and did not realise that this would be caught on camera. It was a private joke with the team and I’m so sorry it went out on air […] I wasn’t ‘flipping the bird’ at viewers or even a person really.’
She later denied that she or the BBC had released the extended video, writing on Twitter: ‘So someone released the full video! It wasn’t the BBC who released this and it certainly wasn’t me!
‘But in a way I think I’m glad this is out there, as it shows I WAS having a bit of a joke with the crew during the countdown. Again, so sorry it went out on air. It was meant to be a private laugh.’
Despite causing a stir at the time, Ms Moshiri was able to poke fun at the scandal with a mocked up New Year’s countdown with her blunder projected on to the London Eye only weeks later.
She added a caption alongside the snap reading: ‘I’m letting someone else do the countdown tonight ! I’ll be home with the family .. wishing you all a wonderful New Year. May you all enjoy health and happiness in 2024’.
In May that year, Ms Moshiri brought joy to Eurovision fans after she suffered another mishap on air.
The presenter was seen batting her assistant away as he tried to fix the host’s hair after the cameras have started rolling.
Ms Moshiri also recently gave herself the title of England’s Strongest Newsreader after bending a spoon back on itself live on air
The presenter once apologised to viewers that she didn’t have a photo of the super moon, and demonstrated it for them instead
Over the last 18 months, Ms Moshiri has won thousands of fans online who have fallen for her zany antics and comical lines
Ms Moshiri is married to LatinNews’s editor-in-chief Jonathan Farmer (pictured) with whom she shares three children
She then recovers from the blunder and delivers the start of the bulletin hours ahead of the beginning of the contest.
In response to the post on X showing the mix-up, Ms Moshiri said: ‘Omg I can’t believe this happened. There is a delay and everyone was so worried about my messy hair! @MarvinNadalutti your hand is famous!’
In other such amusing on air performances, Ms Moshiri has bent a metal spoon as a test of strength during a segment which showed a man crushing a frying pan with his hands as well as trying to represent the size of a blue moon.
Unfortunately, she didn’t have footage or a photo to show viewers at the time, which may have left some people wanting – but she had a backup plan.
Raising her hands in front of her, she made a spherical shape and told her audience: ‘It looked a little bit like this, there you go.’
She has also had a coughing fit while reading the bulletin but soon had to ‘give up’ and cut to the news package.
Taking to X to explain her latest gaffe, she wrote: ‘When you get that horrible tickly throat and coughing fit – but you are broadcasting! Had to give up after a bit!
‘Thanks to director Sarah for going to the clip early for me!!’
