Clive Myrie debunks rumour he was beaten up during Ukraine trip

Clive Myrie has apparently attempted to quash the rumour that he was the victim of a racist attack while reporting in Ukraine.

The BBC News reporter has spoken out after a rumour began circulating on social media platform Tiktok that he was beaten by a gang of Ukrainians while reporting from the warzone, claiming the attack had been covered up.

Myrie, 58, tweeted: "How fascinating to see a lie, fly! Don’t you just love bots!!"

Read more: Clive Myrie 'involved in armoured vehicle crash while filming in Ukraine'

One of his followers commented: "I assumed this tweet meant the story was not true."

Myrie responded: "What bit of that tweet did you correctly understand, that others didn’t do you think?"

The Mastermind host was in Ukraine, reporting on the Russian invasion as it unfolded in February 2022.

He is due to return to Kyiv to mark the anniversary of the war breaking out, and speak to the people he met one year on.

In June last year Myrie was reportedly involved in an armoured vehicle crash in Ukraine, and his vehicle was said to have overturned.

The reporter — who has not spoken about the crash — was thought to have hurt his head and returned to London to present BBC News and the BBC Proms coverage, with no obvious injuries.

On 24 February, the day that Russia invaded Ukraine, Myrie reported for the BBC News at 10 live from Kyiv and viewers spotted a tear falling down his cheek.

Myrie reflected afterwards that having reported on previous Russian conflicts he could forsee that “it was going to be a horrible, horrible war”.

He continued: “It had been an emotional day, and I was standing on the rooftop of the hotel where we were broadcasting and it was frankly windy, it was windy.

“The wind blew across my face and through my eyes and a single tear came out.

Read more: Clive Myrie reflects on moment he shed a tear during live Ukraine report

“So I’m not saying that I was crying for Ukraine, because the wind was blowing. What I will say is that it was an emotional day, and that’s it.”

Watch: BBC News presenter Joanna Gosling gets emotional ending final broadcast