LBC host Shelagh Fogarty drops F bomb on air during Kneecap debate as caller demands apology, what has she said

The incident took place during a live segment earlier this week, where caller Oisín raised the political context surrounding criticism of Kneecap and their statements on Palestine. As he referenced alleged war crimes in Gaza and accused politicians of ignoring them, Fogarty interrupted to challenge the language used.

During the exchange, Fogarty asked: “You describe it as a genocide. Not everyone does.” When Oisín replied, “It’s the top human rights lawyers in the world also describe it as a genocide. Many around the world also do,” Fogarty responded, “I'm just doing my job Oisín, you describe it and I make my point as a journalist,” before audibly muttering “f***ing hell” under her breath as she handed the conversation back to the caller.

The moment, though brief, was widely shared on social media before the audio was pulled from LBC’s online platforms. A check confirmed that the segment is no longer available.

The caller, Oisín, later posted on X (formerly Twitter), demanding an apology from both the presenter and the station: “I would like an official apology from @LBC and @ShelaghFogarty for the abusive language used towards me, since they’ve been so big on demanding apologies all day.”

He added: “Shelagh Fogarty muttering ‘f***ing hell’ when I brought up the genocide in Gaza to provide the context around the Kneecap debate that seems to be ignored by politicians and the media. It’s been taken down from all platforms now but here’s the full version.”

Fogarty has not issued a formal apology or acknowledged swearing on air. However, she responded to criticism in a tweet defending her right to ask callers for information: “Why? What do you think we are? And why would I not ask people for their thoughts or knowledge of something? What a strange way to view someone asking for information from interested people.”

Online reaction has been strong. Don McGowan wrote: “It was deeply unprofessional, to say the least. She should give you a full apology for that behaviour.”

Tom Kavanagh added: “How can someone paid to present a show be so rude and condescending to a guest from the outset?! And how do you get that far in life with the name Shelagh and not be able to pronounce other Irish names properly? Callers shouldn't have to be more professional than the host.”

The original discussion had centred around Oisín’s defence of Kneecap and their criticism of multiple governments over what he described as complicity in genocide. Fogarty interjected during his argument to ask whether he was referencing the Provisional IRA or colonial oppression, to which he replied: “I'm talking about 800 years of colonial oppression in Ireland.”

Oisín also said: “Last night I saw a video that went viral of two children with their faces being blown off in Gaza and that not being mentioned by a single person in parliament today during this debate. So the political background of this is being completely ignored.”

LBC has not commented publicly on the incident or confirmed whether it is investigating the matter.