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The normally austere tones of the 8 o'clock news on BBC Radio 4's Today programme were replaced by fits of hilarity this morning when a newsreader was unable to stop laughing after hearing a clip of an old sound recording.
Charlotte Green had just finished reading an item about what appeared to be the earliest recording of the human voice, made in 1860, when she fell into an uncontrollable fit of laughter from which she was unable to recover.
Ms Green's latest "corpsing" episode was immediately reported on the BBC sister station Radio 5 Live and prompted thousands of calls to the BBC press office and instant replays on websites.
The giggles were triggered by a recording of the French song Au Clair De La Lune, unearthed by American scientists, that was apparently made 11 years before Thomas Edison first demonstrated the gramophone. The strange, scarcely audible, wail was too much for Ms Green, who was unable to recover her composure and broke down intermittently during the next item: a report on the death of the esteemed screenwriter Abby Mann.
After an initial chuckle for which she apologised, Ms Green embarked on the story about Mann, who won the Oscar for best screenplay in 1961, but began laughing again almost immediately, apparently prompted by someone else in the studio. By the time she was recounting the fact that Mann had won several awards for his work, which included the script for the film Judgment at Nuremberg, she was laughing loudly, and soon after she had to stop completely, leaving an awkward silence. She was finally rescued by James Naughtie, the Today presenter, who launched into a report about Iraq.
The BBC said that Ms Green's giggles started when she heard in her earpiece a colleague's remark that the clip sounded like "a bee buzzing in a bottle". A spokeswoman said that the programme had so far had 20 comments about the incident, "all positive, about how funny they found it" and no complaints.
Ms Green has been a Radio 4 newsreader for about ten years, and has also presented News Speak, for the World Service, as well as been a narrator on BBC Two. She has also been a judge for the BBC Frank Gillard Annual Local Radio Awards, and in 2002 won the Radio Times award for the Most Attractive Female Voice on the Radio. She has form in this area however, having “corpsed” in 1997 while delivering a Today programme item about Papua New Guinea’s chief of staff Jack Tuat. But Ms Green was unrepentant. Recalling the incident in a recent interview, she said: “It’s an open secret that I have a ribald sense of humour. I knew immediately that I was going to have trouble getting through the next story, which to compound the problem was about a sperm whale. For me, it’s essential to laugh both at the absurdity of life and at oneself. Inevitably, the laughter sometimes spills over into my work and I find myself poleaxed by merriment.”

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I was gardening when I heard a repeat of "Today" I had heard during a sermon at Guildford Cathedral about Charlottes giggles and was intending to" listen again" Well I fell about ,wonderful cheered me up!
Isabel Hyde, Farnham, Surrey GU98PB
I remember that, some years ago, Charlotte refered in a news item to "passengers travelling on a cross flannel cherry".
Patrick Clements, Sidmouth, UK
Poor Andy of Woking. I've been there - once - and it offers precious little to laugh about.
Charlotte adds to the gaiety of an otherwise grim nation. She is also a consummate professional. The real problem, of course, is dragging out the Today programme for three hours. News should be about things that have happened.
Comment is quite different and should be presented as such.
Chelsea Barracks, Teignmouth, United Kingdom
Made my day without a doubt. Glad to see us Brits havenât lost our sense of humour!
Alex, Brighton, UK
So funny! I couldn't stop laughing!
Javi Lor, Madrid, Spain
If Lord Reith were alive, he would turn in his grave.
J. A. Smith, Clitheroe, England
A great moment of incongruity, worthy of the asides of Frank Phillips and, like him, from positively the best in the business: effortless fluency, meticulous pronunciation, and a fine sense of the ridiculous. Giggle on, Charlotte!
brian mcclinton, Lisburn, UK
Charlotte, as always a pleasure to listen to you. Where would we be without you
rod, Dublin , Ireland
Charlotte, you have a voice that sounds the way Guinness pours, smooth, rich and velvety. And when you giggle - wow! Thank you for brightening what had been a mouldy week.
Stephen Jones, Cardiff,
Made my day - keep up the giggles Charlotte !!! Sad James was so serious though on TODAY !!!!
Ian Payne, WALSALL,
Charlotte you have made my day - I have enjoyed every minute of the recording... it was hilarious.. well done you. Robert - Surrey
robert, guildford, surrey
To : Andy - Woking.
You still remember that 1997 episode then?
Sleep well!
Rod Leach, Hertford Heath,, UK
How brilliant! Just what i needed to bring my week to a close - thank you ms Green!
Mark, London,
When I open a tin of beans I expect to see some beans - when I turn up to the doctor's surgery I expect to get professional advice - when I listen to BBC news I expect to listen to BBC news and not some giggling juvenile riding roughshod over the excellence of BBC's heritage of peerless journalism. This episode was an utter disgrace and Green should be sacked. She has indulged in her own quest for notoriety twice too often - 1997 and now 2008.
Andy, Woking, UK
it was a wonderful moment, it will be as well remembered as Brian Johnston's wonderful and equally infectious laughter on Test Match Special : a classic!
judith georgi, london,
That was a classic Charlotte, my day was improved no end, could you do it more often?
HEATHER URECHE, Southwell,
Not only is hers one of the most delightful voices on the radio, but even her laughter is irresistible. Charlotte, if you're reading this, will you marry me ?
Claude, Luxembourg, Luxembourg
I imagine Abby Mann would see the funny side - it'd be doubly funny if he's remembered in the future for his role in the Charlotte Green corpsing incident rather than his writing...
Ashley Pomeroy, Salisbury, Wiltshire
I was listening online in Tunis this morning and could not stop giggling after hearing Charlotte's giggles. Good for you Charlotte. Newsreaders after all are real people with sense of humours and I know no offence was meant to the Abby Mann family. It certainly made my day and may have made a little history for Radio 4! Well done.
Simon Scaddan, Tunis, Tunisia
It brightened up my day. How delightful!
George, Melbourne, Australia
Well done Charlotte - they have played it back a few times today on fivelive and radio two and each time I have been crying with laughter. Superb ! It's refreshing to know that it's not just Fern and Phil who fall apart with laughter.
More please !
phil, bristol, uk
Excellent. Newsreports are human after all :D
Jacob Abram , Dundee, UK
Refreshing and spirited levity in dark times. Ms Green has nothing for which to apologize; human beings are not automatons!
Jack, New York,
the finest since Johnners and Agers.
Steve McAulay, ILKLEY,
Now this person seems to have all the required qualifications to be a political reporter (especially for the current elections in the USA)
keith, Dalsland, Sweden ex pat
Thanks Charlotte - you made my day.
Mark Worsley, London, UK