The BBC has found that an episode of The Papers on October 23 presented by Martine Croxall failed to meet its editorial standards on impartiality.

During the episode, Croxall seemingly laughed at a joke aimed at former prime minister Boris Johnson after he pulled out of the recent Tory leadership race. 

In her introduction to the programme, which started around 90 minutes after Johnson ditched his potential bid, Croxall said: “Well this is all very exciting isn’t it?” adding: “Am I allowed to be this gleeful? Well I am.”

The episode also saw Croxall, 53, suggest that her comments could have breached BBC guidelines.

Responding to a guest’s joke aimed at Johnson, she said: “I shouldn’t probably (laugh). I’m probably breaking some terrible due impartiality rule by giggling.”

She was taken off air following the incident.

The BBC has now said in a statement: “In this programme, several remarks and reactions from the presenter caused a significant risk that the audience could believe opinions were being expressed on the Conservative leadership contest.

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“In addition, there was insufficient counter and challenge to some of the opinions expressed by guests on the programme.

“Taken together, this meant that this edition of The Papers did not meet our editorial standards, as it gave the audience the opportunity to infer an editorial position on the part of the BBC. This does not accord with the BBC’s commitment to editorial impartiality.”

In her first question to her guests, Croxall also remarked: “Can we even show you the front pages just yet, have they arrived? No, they haven’t arrived. It’s all a little bit, you know, lastminute.com isn’t it? Because all the front pages were probably out of date by the time we received them.”