This is the moment the BBC’s D-Day coverage was interrupted when someone behind the camera makes an offensive remark about the French. 

Kirsty Young was presenting from the Bayeux Cemetery in Normandy for the corporation’s 90-minute special programme D-Day 80: Tribute to the Fallen last night ahead of the 80th anniversary of the invasion.

The veteran broadcaster told viewers the emotional commemoration to remember the fallen was about to begin. 

There was an awkward moment of silence as they wait for the footage to cut to a military band parade before the camera wobbles and a male voice behind the camera mutters: ‘French a*******s.’ 

Ms Young looks on stony-faced as she sits beside the equally silent historian James Holland and Anthea Goldsmith, the daughter of D-Day hero Theodore Ionides whose grave is at the Bayeux, as they all make no reaction.

The BBC has apologised for the ‘inappropriate comment’ and the programme is currently not available to be viewed on iPlayer while it is being edited, the corporation said.  

Kirsty Young was presenting from the Bayeux Cemetery in Normandy for the corporation’s special 90-minute programme last night ahead of the 80th anniversary of the invasion

Ms Young looks on stony-faced as she sits beside the equally silent historian James Holland and Anthea Goldsmith, the daughter of D-Day hero Theodore Ionides whose grave is at the Bayeux, as a male voice behind the camera appears to mutter: ‘French a*******s’ 

A BBC spokesperson told MailOnline: ‘We sincerely apologise for an inappropriate comment that was captured during live coverage of the D-Day at 80 event in Bayeux. The programme is being edited and is temporarily unavailable on BBC iPlayer.’

The disrespectful blunder was shared on X/ Twitter by television critic and broadcaster Scott Bryan. 

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The footage has had more than 140,000 views since he posted it on the social media site last night alongside a message which read: ‘Not sure what exactly happened here during the BBC’s D-Day coverage.’

One user commented they could have said ‘our souls’ alongside a gritted teeth emoji to which Mr Bryan replied: ‘We can but hope.’ 

Another thought they might have misheard what was said. 

As many as 4,400 troops from the combined Allied forces were killed on D-Day itself, with it thought between 15,000 and 20,000 Normandy civilians died during the invasion. 

It comes as this morning a lone military piper played on Gold Beach to mark the moment the first British troops stormed the Normandy coast. 

Pipe Major Trevor Macey-Lillie played Highland Laddie as he was carried to the beach at Arromanches on a Royal Marines amphibious landing craft flanked by service members.

It took place at the exact moment the first troops waded ashore as part of the Normandy landings in the battle to retake Europe from the Nazis all those years ago, and harkens back to a lone piper who played during the event itself and was never shot at.

A British soldier photographs graves at the Bayeux War Cemetery in the early hours of this morning on the 80th anniversary of D-Day

The grave of an unidentified soldier is illuminated alongside others at the Bayeux War Cemetery in northern France this morning

Military piper Major Trevor Macey-Lillie plays a lament as he is driven ashore on Gold Beach in an amphibious vehicle this morning

A giant poppy is displayed on the beach at Arromanches as people walk along the sand before today’s commemorations

Crowds gathered at the beach to view the reenactment, which took place in a picturesque sunrise – a far cry from the cloudy and rough seas that welcomed 25,000 soldiers who landed on the same stretch of coast in 1944.

Among those present at Arromanches this morning is Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, who joined others in paying tribute to those who lost their lives during what was the biggest seaborne invasion in military history.

There have also been events remember the British troops on Sword Beach in Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer, Canadian soldiers on Juno Beach at Courseulles and US forces at Utah Beach in Pouppeville and Omaha Beach in Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer.

Later today there will be further events commemorating the events of 80 years ago, with King Charles and Queen Camilla, along with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron, all taking part.