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“BBC Dad” Nine Years Later

In March 2017, Robert E. Kelly, an American political science professor living in Busan, South Korea, was giving a live interview to BBC News from his home office. He was talking about a serious political crisis in South Korea when something unexpected happened. The door behind him opened, and his four-year-old daughter, Marion, marched confidently into the room. A few seconds later, her nine-month-old brother, James, bounced in behind her. Then Kelly’s wife, Kim Jung-A, rushed in and pulled both children out of the room, while Kelly stayed in his chair, apologised politely and tried to continue.

The 43-second clip spread across the internet almost immediately, and Kelly became known around the world as “BBC Dad.” At first, the family was worried that the moment would hurt his career; Kelly later admitted they thought no TV network would ever call them again. Instead, people found the scene funny and relatable. Some viewers even claimed it had been staged, but Kelly has always insisted it was a real family blooper.

Three years later, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the video became popular all over again. Millions of people were working from home and facing the same kind of interruptions on their own video calls. Today, the clip has been watched around 65 million times on the BBC’s YouTube channel.

Robert E. Kelly/X

Over the years, Kelly has shared updates about his children on social media, usually around the anniversary of the interview in March. On 28 September 2026, he posted new photos on X with the caption “Some BBC Dad content. It’s been awhile.” The pictures showed him celebrating his birthday with Marion, now 13, and James, now 10; a photo of Marion that he said looked “very grown-up”; James making a peace sign on a hike with his dad; and Kelly with his wife, whom he called “BBC Mom,” at a street festival.

Looking back, Kelly has said that fame can feel strange, especially when strangers take photos of the family in public without asking. Still, he believes the family was lucky that their moment of fame came from something positive.

True, False or Not Given? – Read the statements. Write T (true), F (false) or NG (the text doesn’t say).

1. Kelly was talking about sport during the interview. ____
2. Marion was the first child to enter the room. ____
3. Kelly stood up and carried the children out of the room. ____
4. Kelly was afraid the video might damage his career. ____
5. The BBC paid the family for using the video. ____
6. The video only became famous during the pandemic. ____

Multiple choice – Circle the correct answer

1. Where does the Kelly family live? a) London b) Seoul  c) Busan  d) New York
2. Why did the video become popular again in 2020? a) The BBC showed it again on TV b) Many people were working from home  c) Kelly gave another interview  d) The children started a YouTube channel
3. What does Kelly call his wife in his new post? a) BBC Mom b) Mrs Kelly  c) The hero  d) BBC Star
4. How old is James now? a) 9 months b) 4  c) 10  d) 13

Short answers – Answer in one or two sentences.

1. What is Robert Kelly’s job?
2. Who took the children out of the room?
3. How many times has the clip been viewed on the BBC’s YouTube channel?
4. What did some viewers believe about the video, and what does Kelly say?
5. What part of being famous does Kelly find strange?
6. Why does Kelly feel the family was lucky?

Answer key

A: 1 F · 2 T · 3 F (his wife did; he stayed in his chair) · 4 T · 5 NG · 6 F (it went viral in 2017 and became popular again in 2020)

B: 1 c · 2 b · 3 a · 4 c

C: 1 He is a political science professor. 2 His wife, Kim Jung-A. 3 About 65 million times. 4 Some thought it was staged; Kelly says it was a real family blooper. 5 Strangers taking photos of the family in public without asking. 6 Because their fame came from something positive.

Passage adapted and rewritten from reporting by E! Online, Unilad, CBS News and Yahoo, September 2026.