The linguistic tightrope that is pronouncing the Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt’s name correctly appears to have claimed another victim.

Justin Webb, a presenter on BBC Radio 4’s flagship Today programme, blundered by pronouncing the surname of the Cabinet minister as “Cunt”.

The broadcaster made the error while reading out a newspaper story about the minister. 

Listeners heard him say: “The paper says that Health Secretary Jeremy Cunt … Hunt is understood to favour a cap on social care.”

Webb claimed he had “swerved” away from pronouncing the full four-letter word, but listeners were convinced they had heard it.

He was reading out a story from the Daily Express during the programme’s review of newspapers and news websites.

Webb appeared to acknowledge the slip by apparently letting out an audible sigh as the programme moved on to the sports headlines.

It is not the first time a Today presenter has been embarrassed by the Health Secretary’s name.

James Naughtie made the error while Hunt was culture secretary. Andrew Marr made exactly the same gaffe when describing the incident on Start the Week only hours later.