The BBC has apologized for not showing the flag of Northern Ireland on the Commonwealth Games broadcast after viewers accused the broadcaster of ignoring the flag.
Any country in the UK except Northern Ireland had his flag displayed during a broadcast by BBC presenter Reeta Chakrabarti.
While the official flag for Northern Ireland is the Union Jack, the Ulster Banner is used by the Northern Ireland team during the Commonwealth Games and is recognized by FIFA for international football matches.
The BBC told MailOnline: ‘We will be using the flag used by the Northern Ireland Commonwealth Games team and apologize for its omission on this occasion.’
Northern Irish viewers have accused the BBC of ignoring the flag in its coverage of the Commonwealth Games. The BBC used the words Northern Ireland instead of a flag during an evening broadcast
The BBC told MailOnline: ‘We will be using the flag used by the Northern Ireland Commonwealth Games team and apologize for its omission on this occasion.’ Pictured: Martin McHugh and Michaela Walsh carry the Ulster Banner to represent the Northern Ireland team at the opening ceremony of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games on July 28
Northern Irish viewers flocked online to express their disgust at the show. One told the BBC to ‘get the flag of Northern Ireland on your results board’.
Meanwhile, Northern Ireland politician Baroness Kate Hoey asked why the BBC didn’t show the flag ‘as worn by the team’.
She said, ‘What is BBC News trying to do? At the Platinum concert at Buckingham Palace they raised the Irish flag for Northern Ireland and now they have no flag.
“Maybe they shouldn’t get the license fee from NI residents if they think we don’t exist!”
Baroness Hoey berated the BBC for failing to display a flag for Northern Ireland on one of their broadcasts
A Twitter user pointed out that the BBC also appeared to have been cut off from a Northern Irish swimmer who finished third, meaning the flag would be on display, during a highlights program
Seconds later, a Scottish flag was displayed during highlights of another race when Toni Shaw, of Aberdeen, won bronze
Outraged Northern Irish viewers lash out at BBC for not taking up flag for Northern Ireland
A Twitter user also pointed out that the public service broadcaster seemed to steer clear of the finish of a race in a highlight show to avoid a flag for Northern Ireland coming into third place.
Seconds later, however, the BBC showed Scottish swimmer Toni Shaw finishing third in the S9 100m freestyle, showing her country’s flag on the screen.
The only official flag that Northern Ireland has is the Union Jack, but the Ulster Banner is often used to represent the country.
The Ulster Banner has a Red Hand of Ulster and a crown on it and is associated with union work and loyalty.
The flag is a point of contention in Northern Ireland, especially for Catholics and Republicans who want Northern Ireland to leave the UK and rejoin Ireland.
However, it is used by the national football team and was the flag waved by the Northern Ireland team during the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games on Thursday.
It was also used by the Government of Northern Ireland for 20 years until 1973, when Parliament was abolished.
The criticism is the latest in a series of moments that the BBC either missed a flag for Northern Ireland or confused it with that of the Republic of Ireland.
Just last month the BBC apologized after with an Irish tricolor flag during the QueenAnniversary concert in Buckingham Palace.
At an evening concert where comedian Doc Brown spoke of being ‘proud to be British’, the Irish tricolor flag – normally used to represent the Republic of Ireland, which has not been part of the United Kingdom since 1937 – appeared during a BBC montage on the screen behind him.
The on-screen montage showed the England and Wales football crest, a Scottish flag and then the tricolor flag, in line with the comedian speaking of ‘the red dragon, shamrock and thistle’, intended to refer to Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
The BBC apologized for incorrectly displaying the wrong flag in a segment referring to Northern Ireland
In late 2020, the BBC apologized after using the Irish tricolor to represent Northern Ireland in a depiction of Covid restrictions
A BBC spokesperson said: ‘The wrong flag appeared in a short montage during Doc Brown’s performance last night. We apologize for the error and the series will be updated on iPlayer.’
Similarly, BBC presenter Naga Munchetty was forced to apologize on air in late 2020 after the broadcaster ‘accidentally’ used the Irish tricolor to represent Northern Ireland in a depiction of Covid restrictions.
At the time, the DUP said the apology was “welcome, but shameful that it should be emphasized.”