THIS is the bizarre moment a Russia Today presenter claimed poisoned Sergei Skripal's daughter Yulia was also a spy - just seconds before thanking the BBC for letting him on TV.
Conspiracy-loving Afshin Rattansi made the remark just hours after MPs hit out at BBC bosses for giving him a platform on flagship panel show Question Time.
The Kremlin-backed telly host said that poisoned Sergei Skripal's daughter was also a spy
Speaking just seconds after he was introduced by David Dimbleby, the Kremlin-backed telly host smirked: "Obviously everyone condemns this attack, it's terrible for the police officer and these two spies.
"Can I just say thank you to the BBC for inviting me."
Last year he said on Twitter that a coalition of "Israeli/Saudi/UK-basked Isis" had attacked Iran.
And before that he worked for Iran's Press TV - the station which broadcast an interview earlier this year asking if Jews had "exploited" the Holocaust, which Ken Livingstone appeared on.
Twitter / @afshinrattansi Afshin Rattansi is a Russia Today host
Russia Today He interviewed Jackie Walker, who was suspended from Labour for saying that Jews funded the slave trade
He has tweeted about how accusations of anti-Semitism in the Labour party were a "smear" and attacks on Jeremy Corbyn are a "Zionist onslaught".
And he has also interviewed Jackie Walker - who was suspended from the party for alleged anti-Semitism for claiming Jews financed the slave trade.
Tory MP Sarah Wollaston stormed at the news he would be on the BBC tonight: "Why is Question Time giving a platform to RT, a mouthpiece for Putin? Hope other panellists walk out in disgust."
Seriously, why is @bbcquestiontime giving a platform to RT, a mouthpiece for Putin? Russia has unleashed a nerve agent here in Britain & 3 people, including a police officer, have been fighting for their lives. Hope other panellists walk out in disgust https://t.co/ndFtxGYRbm — Sarah Wollaston MP (@sarahwollaston) March 14, 2018
And BBC viewers reacted with fury at the claim Yulia Skripal was also a double agent.
Note the RT guy refers to Yulia as a “spy”. Sod off #BBCQT — Barbarellaella 🌹 (@brella81) March 15, 2018
Did the dude from RT just say 'the two Russian spies'? Since when has any source said the girl Yulia was a spy? #bbcqt — Dave (@deostel) March 15, 2018
Disgusting RT man calls Yulia Skripal a spy #bbcqt — Jenni Frazer (@Jennifrazer) March 15, 2018
If we needed any further evidence of Russia’s disregard for international law, Rattansi just gave it. Syria, interference in elections and now Salisbury. And he puts up a smokescreen about free speech and called Yulia a spy. I smell propaganda #bbcqt — Tony (@TonyVoller) March 15, 2018
Did Afshin Rattansi just call Yulia Skripal a spy? Ok. To be expected I suppose — David Paxton (@DavidDPaxton) March 15, 2018
Just last month Rattansi tweeted that Donald Trump was following Obama in "using millions of dollars to explicitly support Isis and Al Qaeda".
He appeared on the BBC's Question Time show last night alongside Labour's Sir Keir Starmer, the VP of the European Parliament, Mairead McGuinness, Transport Secretary Chris Grayling and award-winning actor Brian Cox.
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.@realDonaldTrump now following Obama's lead in using millions of U.S. taxpayer dollars to explicitly support ISIS and Al Qaeda. https://t.co/A3YXz6haGX — Afshin Rattansi (@afshinrattansi) February 8, 2018
How long before @RealDonaldTrump explains to the American people Obama used taxpayers' money for AQ & ISIS in Syria? — Afshin Rattansi (@afshinrattansi) October 31, 2017
MPs have called for the British Government to ban Russia Today after the poisoning of an ex-spy in Salisbury was found to lead back to the Russian regime.
But the Russians responded with fury, claiming they would ban ALL media outlets from the entire country.
The BBC have yet to reply to a request for comment.
QUESTION TIME continues tonight - with a fresh panel ready to debate the biggest issues of the week.
Here's who is on the show tonight and what time you can catch it - with the poisoning of Sergei Skripal sure to feature prominently...
Mentorn David Dimbleby will be at the helm of Question Time tonight
Who's on Question Time tonight, what time is it on and where is it broadcasting from?
Tonight, Question Time will be broadcast from Dover.
It will start at 10.45pm on BBC One and can also be listened to on BBC Radio 5 Live.
As always, the discussion will be chaired by David Dimbleby.
Joining tonight's panel is Transport Secretary Chris Grayling and the shadow Brexit secretary Keir Starmer.
Completing the line-up is Irish MEP Mairead McGuiness, SNP supporter and actor Brian Cox and RT presenter Afshin Rattansi.
Who is Question Time host David Dimbleby?
Question Time is helmed by veteran broadcaster David Dimbleby, 79, and has been since 1994.
He joined the BBC as a news reporter in Bristol during the 60s and has appeared on news programmes since 1962.
David hosted the coverage of last year's General Election, despite having announced that the 2015 national vote would be his last.
PA:Press Association Veteran David Dimbleby has appeared on news programmes since 1962
Can I be in the Question Time audience?
Question Time is filmed in front of a live studio audience, but the audience isn’t just there to watch, applause, heckle and listen – they are put to work to come up with questions for the panel.
Those who wish to apply to be part of the audience can do so via the Join the Question Time audience web page run by the BBC.
Hopefuls will be required to fill out a questionnaire to be considered as an audience member and will be contacted on the Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday before the programme airs.
HAVE A BREX, HAVE A KITKAT Officials plotted 'KitKat' Brexit to secretly tie Britain to EU BEEB BACKLASH Russia Today presenter uses BBC to claim Sergei Skripal's DAUGHTER is a spy NOT OVER PM warns Putin Russia must stop 'provocations' as world leaders back May IT'S CORB-LICATED Now Jeremy Corbyn says Russian MAFIA could be behind Salisbury poisoning VLAD SIGN Cold snap could trigger gas emergency in UK if Russian gas giants turn off taps MUSLIM MINISTER THREAT Sajid Javid is latest MP to get sick 'Punish a Muslim Day' letter
How long has Question Time been running?
Question Time has been airing on the BBC since the end of the 1970s – with the first episode broadcast on 29 September 1979.
The series was first presented by the late political broadcaster and commentator Sir Robin Day between 1979 and 1989, Peter Sisson between 1989 and 1993, and has been hosted by David Dimbleby since 1994.
The show has spawned a number of related shows including Any Questions?, The Big Questions, and Question Time Extra.
Sparks flew on BBC's Question Time tonight after the programme invited a Russia Today presenter to air his views as a panelist.
Afshin Rattansi joined Labour's Shadow Brexit Secretary Keir Starmer, the Tory Transport Secretary Chris Grayling, Irish MEP Mairead McGuinness and actor Brian Cox.
And his first act on the show was to label Yulia Skripal - the poisoned daughter of Russian double agent Sergei Skripal - a spy.
Viewers were left aghast by the comment, saying he was peddling Russian propaganda, and the Cambridge-born journalist has since been on social media sharing reaction.
Afshin Rattansi's first act on the show appeared to be to label Yulia Skripal - the poisoned daughter of Russian double agent Sergei Skripal - a spy
Presenter David Dimbleby rapped Rattansi twice, telling him to honour the question asked from the audience
Rattansi takes a sip of water after being told off for 'trivialising' a serious matter - the nerve agent attack in Salisbury
Unsurprisingly, the first question was about Salisbury, and a member of the audience asked the panelists how sure they were that the Russian state was behind the poisoning.
In dodging the question, Rattansi questioned British free speech by saying Tory MP Sarah Wollaston was trying to suppress his views by calling for his fellow panelists to boycott the show in a tweet.
Rattansi, in an apparent act of hostility before the programme aired, retweeted the message onto his own profile and then brought it up on the BBC.
While condemning the attack, he appeared to call Yulia Skripal a spy.
He said: 'Obviously everyone condemns the attack. It's terrible for the police officers and those two spies.'
Viewers reacted in horror to his comments and a Twitter user, Dave, said: 'Did the dude from RT just say "the two Russian spies"? Since when has any source said the girl Yulia was a spy?'
Cass Blakeman said: 'Two spies?! Was Yulia Skripal a spy?! This fella is going well off piste, reckon he'll boil over before end.'
David Paxton said: 'Did Afshin Rattansi just call Yulia Skripal a spy? Ok. To be expected I suppose.'
Tony Voller said: 'If we needed any further evidence of Russia’s disregard for international law, Rattansi just gave it.
'Syria, interference in elections and now Salisbury. And he puts up a smokescreen about free speech and called Yulia a spy. I smell propaganda.'
Presenter David Dimbleby rapped Rattansi twice, telling him to honour the question asked from the audience.
He then said: 'Even the Prime Minister said it's highly likely, so it's not beyond reasonable doubt. I really don't know. We cannot believe our governments any more.'
Afshin Rattansi (right to left) joined Labour's Shadow Brexit Secretary Keir Starmer, presenter David Dimbleby, the Tory Transport Secretary Chris Grayling, Irish MEP Mairead McGuinness and actor Brian Cox
Keir Starmer, who as a lawyer before going into politics represented the widow of Alexander Litvenenko, argues with Afshin Rattansi
Chris Grayling was among those to condemn the nerve agent attack in Salisbury, Wiltshire
Labour Keir Starmer, who was a lawyer before going into politics and represented Alexander Litvenenko's widow, stood in defiance with Theresa May.
He said of the poisoning of the Skripals: 'It's appalling and deserves to be condemned without reservation.
'The Prime Minister asked serious questions of Russia, and no answers have been given.'
Starmer said that this must have been what led her to to concluding the responsibility lies with Russia.
He said he supports the action to ban 23 diplomats, calling it 'an attack on our sovereignty'.
'This is not the first time, it needs to be called out with no ifs and no buts,' Starmer added.
Afshin Rattansi smiling on BBC's Question Time
Transport Secretary Chris Grayling was also bullish in his condemnation of the poisoning.
He said: 'We wouldn't have taken the steps we have if we were not completely satisfied Russia was either behind the appalling attack or refused to give an explanation as to how it (the nerve agent Novichok) left their control.'
Grayling thanked the world leaders from France, Germany and the US for standing by them and added: 'This is completely, absolutely, unreservedly unacceptable.
'It's a violent act that's effected members of the public in a rural English country city.
'It is absolutely unacceptable and we must stand up to it.
'We cannot, as a Western, democratic society, think about accepting such willfully reckless acts against our nations.'
The Tory minister said the government's conclusions were based on what he described were the findings of the 'best security services in the world'.
Rattansi flippantly replied: 'If they are the finest security services in the world, they should have protected this man when he came over here.'
Starmer immediately shut him down, saying: 'Oh, don't be so trivial over a really serious incident.'
The smirking RT presenter then sheepishly took a drink of water as Dimbleby moved the conversation on.
When asked who else could've been responsible, Rattansi said 16 other countries had access to Novichok and pointed to Putin's upcoming election on Sunday, saying it was terrible timing for him.
Another audience member asked whether the Salisbury incident would lead to a new Cold War.
Actor Brian Cox told the panel: 'I think we are about to enter a new Cold War. I think it's unavoidable. And it's a war based on total greed.
'We've allowed things to get out of hand.'
Mairead McGuinness said her colleagues in the Baltics were living in fear, but that it had to be settled with words.
Starmer said what happens next is important, saying Britain missed the opportunity to rebuild its relationship with Russia after the Cold War.
Since then, he pointed to Russia's involvement in the Ukraine, Syria and their attacks on homosexuality.
Rattansi said the steps taken by Theresa May have endangered the national security in Britain.
Who is Afshin Rattansi? The Cambridge-born journalist who in the past accused the US government of funding ISIS in Syria Afshin Rattansi on tonight's BBC Question Time According to his employers RT, Afshin Rattansi is 'the award-winning journalist who hosts RT UK’s groundbreaking Going Underground news and current affairs programme'. Before his Russian venture, which he embarked upon in 2013, he was at The Guardian, Channel 4 and the BBC among other media platforms. He also had spells at Bloomberg, CNN and Al Jazeera during his career. Away from mainstream journalism, he has penned books and produced documentaries, including Eritrea: A Nation In Isolation. Rattansi has tweeted in the past accusing the US government of funding ISIS in Syria.
Conservative MP Sarah Wollaston was among many to question the BBC's judgement in asking Rattansi of Kremlin-run RT - formerly Russia Today - onto the show.
She tweeted her outrage, saying: 'Seriously, why is BBC Question Time giving a platform to RT, a mouthpiece for Putin?
'Russia has unleashed a nerve agent here in Britain & three people, including a police officer, have been fighting for their lives.
'Hope other panelists walk out in disgust.'
Mairead McGuinness (pictured) slammed Rattansi's suggestion Europe was looking to introduce a hard border in Northern Ireland, asking him: 'Do you know anything about the customs union?'
Brian Cox threw an arm around McGuinness and gave her a hug and she responded by kissing him on the cheek
The appearance comes in the aftermath of British-Russian relations hitting its lowest point since the Cold War after the nerve agent attack on Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.
While the rest of the world is blaming the Kremlin, Moscow has denied any involvement.
Theresa May lashed out, deporting 23 Russian diplomats, and heated rhetoric has been thrown back and forth as the Skripals fight for their lives in hospital.
There are also question marks over the unexplained death of Russian dissident Nikolai Glushkov, who was found dead with so-called 'strangulation' marks at his New Malden home in South West London.
Among the sanctions Theresa May has threatened is banning RT from the UK.
Russia retaliated, saying if she went ahead with blocking the network's licences, they would ban all British journalists from entering the country.
'Hashtag Me Too, Brian': Actor Brian Cox is jokingly reprimanded by David Dimbleby for throwing his arm around MEP Mairead McGuinness on Question Time
Question Time took a turn when the panel began to talk Brexit.
Irish MEP Mairead McGuinness slammed controversial RT presenter Afshin Rattansi's suggestion Europe was looking to introduce a hard border in Northern Ireland, asking him: 'Do you know anything about the customs union and the single market? Do you know how it works?'
She then said she was 'hesitant' about coming onto the show, unsure of what welcome she would receive.
McGuinness said: 'I came in hesitation. I thought I wouldn't get much love, but it's warm, which is nice.'
With that, Brian Cox threw an arm around her and gave her a hug and McGuinness responded by kissing him on the cheek.
She then said: 'Well that was rather more than I anticipated.'
As the audience cheered, Dimbleby turned to Cox with a smirk and said: 'Hashtag Me Too, Brian. Me too,' in reference to the campaign against the sexual harassment of women.
Cox responded with: 'That's political correctness for you,' before McGuinness interrupted saying: 'Hashtag You Too.'
Afshin Rattansi is a presenter for the state-backed TV Channel RT who began his career on The Guardian as one of the paper’s youngest-ever columnists, he has also worked for Channel 4, the BBC, Al Jazeera, CNN, Press TV and Bloomberg.
But he is not one to shy away from controversy having previously claimed London, Paris and Washington helped give birth to ISIS with their actions in the Middle East.
Conservative MP for Totnes Sarah Wollaston said: “Seriously, why is BBC Question Time giving a platform to RT, a mouthpiece for Putin?
“Russia has unleashed a nerve agent here in Britain & 3 people, including a police officer, have been fighting for their lives. Hope other panellists walk out in disgust.”
Although, Russia involvement in the poisoning of Sergei Skripal and others in Salisbury is suspected it has not been conclusively proven and Russia still denies any responsibility.
At the start of the programme Mr Rattansi said: “Obviously everyone condemns this attack, it’s terrible for the police officer and these two spies.
