Kay Burley off air for six months after London birthday bash

Senior Sky News journalists Kay Burley, Inzamam Rashid and Beth Rigby have been suspended for breaching Covid guidelines.  

Breakfast host Burley will be taken off air for six months, while political editor Rigby and north of England correspondent Rashid take the shorter punishment of three.  

The group are understood to have met last week in London in a celebration for Burley’s birthday, during which they may have been in a group larger than six and visited more than one establishment.  

In a statement, Sky News said it had completed an internal review into the trio’s conduct following their “decision to attend a social event on the evening of 5 December”.  

“Over the course of the evening, Covid guidelines were breached,” said the statement. 

“Sky News expects all team members to fully comply with the Covid restrictions. All those involved regret the incident and have apologised.” 

Burley tweeted that she agreed with Sky News’ decision but believed she was Covid-compliant at the social event.  

“But the fact is I was wrong, I made a big mistake, and I am sorry,” she added. 

Burley has worked at Sky News since its debut in 1989 and has presented its morning show since October 2019. 

Topics