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At 64, Burley was handpicked by Andrew Neil to help launch Sky News back in 1988, and since then, she’s become a defining figure of the channel. Over the years, she’s enjoyed her fair share of triumphs, but her career hasn’t been without its controversies.
Burley has faced heavy criticism, with calls for her dismissal due to her blunt interviewing style and the thousands of complaints logged with Ofcom. One of her most infamous moments occurred in 2008, when she interviewed Pam Wright, the former partner of convicted killer Steve Wright, known as the Suffolk Strangler.
In a shocking exchange, Burley suggested that her relationship with Wright might have contributed to his gruesome crimes. “Five murders in six weeks. Do you think if you’d had a better sex life he wouldn’t have done that?” Burley asked a stunned Pam.
With that in mind, The Standard takes look back at Kay Burley’s most controversial moments:
Making Peter Andre cry on live TV
Andre fought back tears during a Sky News segment in 2010 showing his former wife Katie Price tying the knot with Alex Reid in Las Vegas.
The singer had to cut the interview short as he became choked up with emotion and Burley apologised for upsetting him.
Andre said: “No one is going to take my kids away from me.”
After the moment, Burley wrote on her blog that she “went to check during an ad break that he was OK, he sobbed on my shoulder in the green room”.
“He’d discovered not 12 hours earlier that the mother of two of his children had married without even bothering to tell him and was devastated at the very thought that she might want take the youngsters away from him,” Burley added.
“I was mortified at having upset such an obviously doting family man and was keen to offer sincere apologies but he was his usual charming self.
“As we stood and chatted about parenthood he said he was relieved he’d finally vented some of the pent-up tension he’d been feeling and I sympathised but warned him not to ever cry in front of the children.”
Burley said calm was restored and “Peter left the building wiser about news interviews and me very much with ‘Team Pete’”.
Hit with Ofcom complaints over ‘aggressive’ election interview
Just months after the Peter Andre controversy, she found herself at the centre of another media storm—this time over her handling of the 2010 General Election.
Sky News viewers were outraged by her interview with electoral campaigner David Babbs, accusing her of being “biased” and “aggressive” in her questioning. The backlash was swift, with Ofcom receiving 2,800 complaints and furious viewers even calling for her to be sacked.
Several years later, Burley found herself at the centre of multiple Ofcom complaints in 2015 again, with viewers accusing her of bias, insensitivity, and inappropriate coverage.
During the General Election, 400 complaints were lodged over claims she was biased against Labour leader Ed Miliband. Just weeks later, 55 more viewers complained to Ofcom over alleged Islamophobia in her reporting.
The biggest backlash came in June, following her coverage of The Smiler rollercoaster crash at Alton Towers. A staggering 1,816 complaints were made to Ofcom, while over 55,000 people signed a petition calling for her to be fired.
Interviewing an empty chair
In 2019, Burley decided to “empty chair” Mr Cleverly, after claiming the then Tory chairman missed a planned appearance on her breakfast show, although he responded that he was not due to appear.
Burley addressed a vacant seat with planned questions for the Tory politician, and Ofcom investigated but decided “the viewpoint of the Conservatives was given sufficient weight to maintain due impartiality”.
Following the moment, Mr Cleverly said: “I like to think I’m a pretty decent multitasker, but I cannot physically be in two places at the same time.”
Swearing blunder during Scottish referendum coverage
Burley found herself in hot water during the 2014 Scottish Referendum after an unguarded moment was caught on live TV. While reporting from Aberdeen, she was heard describing one of the “lairy” activists as “a bit of a k**b,” seemingly unaware that her microphone was still on.
The slip-up quickly sparked backlash, prompting Burley to issue an apology on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Soz for poor language. Never alone with a microphone! Challenging environment,” she wrote, attempting to downplay the blunder.
Chris Bryant branding her ‘dim’
As Labour MP Sir Chris Bryant called for an inquiry on the phone hacking scandal, and claimed that bad behaviour by journalists was “endemic” at the News Of The World and other newspapers, Burley interrupted him asking for proof.
Sir Chris pointed to a report by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), and when Burley asked if he was “content” saying his assertion on live TV, he replied, saying: “You seem to be a bit dim, if you don’t mind me saying so.”
Burley later said she was “playing devil’s advocate”, and said “no one cares what I think”, the public “care what you think”.
Sven Goran-Eriksson interrupted by ex-MP Lembit Opik calling him
The former England manager was interviewed in 2021 by Burley, and appeared to have Lembit Opik ringing him several times while he was on air – with the face of the former MP showing up on his remote interview app at various points during the live broadcast.
Before the interview ended, Burley responded saying: “It does look like Mr Opik really does want to talk to you!”
Referencing Eminem to Liz Truss
While grilling Liz Truss on whether she was a remainer or a brexiter during the Tory leadership election in 2022 and her other claimed U-turns on policy, Burley asked the future shortest-serving prime minister: “Will the real Liz Truss please stand up?”
This prompted laughs from the studio audience, and Ms Truss responded, explaining that views develop as you age.
Eminem’s hit The Real Slim Shady has a lyric saying: “Will the real Slim Shady please stand up? I repeat, will the real Slim Shady please stand up?”
Sky News suspension after Covid rule breach
In 2020, Burley found herself at the centre of controversy after flouting Coronavirus restrictions, leading to a months-long break from Sky News.
The presenter came under fire after celebrating her 60th birthday in London with a group of friends, including colleagues Beth Rigby and Inzamam Rashid.
The gathering saw Burley breaking the 11pm curfew and “socialising” at her home as well as in two separate restaurants—actions that directly violated the government’s Covid-19 guidelines at the time.
After being caught out, Burley issued a statement saying: “I have today agreed with Sky News to step back from my broadcasting role for a period of reflection. It’s clear to me that we are all in the fight against Covid-19 and that we all have a duty to stick firmly by the rules. It doesn’t matter that I thought I was Covid-compliant at a recent social event.
“The fact is, I was wrong, I made a big mistake, and I am sorry.”
She continued: “Some dear friends and colleagues – some of the most talented and committed professionals in our business – have been dragged into this situation, and I deeply regret that. I was one of the founding presenters on Sky News.
“No one is prouder of our channel’s reputation, the professionals on our team, and the impact we make. I very much look forward to continuing my 32-year career with Sky when I return.”
