BBC veteran Hazel Irvine was forced to apologise during The Masters coverage after making an on-air gaffe that risked upsetting one of her broadcasting colleagues
Hazel Irvine was forced to issue an on-air apology to legendary commentator Dennis Taylor after an embarrassing slip-up. The gaffe occurred during coverage of The Masters on Monday during the first round of this year’s tournament.
Irvine, who has long been the face of the BBC’s Triple Crown coverage, was left somewhat red-faced after mistakenly describing snooker star Mark Allen as only the second Northern Irish player to win the prestigious Masters title. Allen pulled off a comeback to beat Mark Williams as he targets his second Masters title.
However, she had overlooked BBC colleague Taylor, who also claimed the trophy during his illustrious career. After being corrected through her earpiece, Irvine quickly acknowledged her error, saying: “Mark Allen, the third [Northern Irish] player, I am corrected, to win the Masters. How could I forget about Dennis Taylor? Sorry DT. Apologies.”
Her mistake prompted playful “oooooh” reactions from fellow pundits Stephen Hendry and John Parrott, who were sat alongside her in the studio. The pair responded with mock gasps, prompting Irvine to laugh: “I am in the bad books now!”
Parrott joked: “[Taylor’s] rich tea biscuit all over his television! I’m telling you, he’s chucked it!” Attempting to make amends, Irvine promised: “I’ll buy you [Taylor] a drink in Sheffield then.”
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The presenting team were analysing 2018 champion Allen’s clash against two-time winner Mark Williams. The Northern Irishman, ranked 10th in the world, initially found himself trailing 2-1 to the fourth-ranked Welshman.
But Allen fought back to claim five consecutive frames and seal a 6-2 triumph. The victory secures his place in the quarter-finals where he’ll meet either world No. 1 and two-time champion Judd Trump or Ding Junhui, who lifted the trophy in 2011.
‘The Pistol’ endured five consecutive first-round exits at The Masters after his 2018 championship. However, he has since made the semi-finals in back-to-back years.
Following his win over Williams, Allen admitted he’d been battling illness ahead of the competition. And he lavished praise upon Alexandra Palace as a fine venue for such a revered tournament
“It’s the best place we play all year,” he said. “The atmosphere here is second to none, so it’s always good to keep coming back.
“I felt comfortable which is weird. You know me, I’m a good practicer and I prepare properly for these events. But I couldn’t prepare for this at all. I was lying in bed all week with food poisoning. I thought to just go out and give it my best.
“I wouldn’t have had much left if it had have gone closer so I’m glad I got over the line when I did. I was always going to play, I just may have needed to wear a nappy for TV. It wasn’t a good week!”.
“I’m not getting carried away, it’s an 11th quarter-final but I’ve only won it once so I need to try and sort that out! This is as good a week as any to try and do that.”
Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL package
Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £336 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games next season, an increase of up to 100 more.
