Kay Burley: Sky News presenter off air during Covid breach inquiry

Burley has been one of the faces of Sky News for more than 30 years

Sky News presenter Kay Burley and three colleagues have been taken off air while an investigation into breaches of Covid guidelines is carried out.

Political editor Beth Rigby, north of England correspondent Inzamam Rashid and presenter Sam Washington are also off air while the inquiry takes place.

BBC media editor Amol Rajan said Burley's job is hanging in the balance.

It follows her admission that she "broke the rules" while celebrating her 60th birthday at the weekend.

The journalist said she could "only apologise" for her "error of judgment".

'Fury in the newsroom'

Writing on Twitter on Monday, Burley said she had been at a "Covid compliant" restaurant on Saturday and had later "popped into another" venue to use the toilet.

Amol Rajan said she was one of a party of 10 people at the Century Club, a private members' club on London's Shaftesbury Avenue. Her group took up two tables, with six people on one and four on the other.

Burley then went onto Folie restaurant, where she used the toilet, before moving on to a private residence where individuals from at least three households mixed, Rajan said.

"This is a source of deep anxiety among Sky News bosses," Rajan said. "There is fury within the Sky News newsroom at the compromising of the brand, especially after Sky News has had a strong year."

Rigby, Rashid and Washington are reported to have been present during the evening, although it's not known which parts they attended.

Beth Rigby became Sky News political editor last year

Burley was absent from her daily breakfast show on Tuesday and Wednesday, and fellow presenter Niall Paterson said he would be taking over her slot until Christmas.

In a tweet that was subsequently deleted, Burley said she had always planned to take time off this month to visit her "beloved Africa".

Sharing a video from a safari trip, she said she would be leaving on Friday to go "sit with lions", adding: "They kill for food not sport."

'Disappointed'

Burley, who joined Sky News in 1988 and has hosted the breakfast show since October 2019, offered an apology to her 519,000 Twitter followers on Monday.

"On Saturday night I was enjoying my 60th birthday at a Covid compliant restaurant," she wrote. "I am embarrassed to say that later in the evening I inadvertently broke the rules.

"I had been waiting for a taxi at 11pm to get home. Desperate for the loo I briefly popped into another restaurant to spend a penny. I can only apologise."

London is under tier two restrictions, which means people are not allowed to socialise with anyone from outside their household or support bubble indoors, either in a private home or a public place.

Some venues have outdoor seating and you are able to meet in a group of up to six people outside, including in a garden or in a public place.

On Monday, a spokesman for Sky said: "We place the highest importance on complying with the government guidelines on Covid, and we expect all our people to comply.

"We were disappointed to learn that a small number of Sky News staff may have engaged in activity that breached the guidelines.

"Although this took place at a social event in personal time, we expect all our people to follow the rules that are in place for everyone."

Burley's apology followed those of pop star Rita Ora, who said sorry for failing to self-isolate following a trip to Egypt and for throwing a birthday party at a London restaurant.