Man accidentally interviewed live on BBC instead of tech expert became an internet legend

Twenty years after accidentally being interviewed live on the BBC instead of the tech expert producers intended to book, Guy Goma is still remembered less as the victim of a TV blunder and more as the patron saint of pretending you know what's going on at work.

Twenty years later, the recollections are fonder. In the run-up to the May 8 anniversary, people are reposting clips of the moment. A book about it is out. And Mr. Goma is being celebrated as a folk hero of sorts for anyone who has ever found themselves ill-equipped for a challenge in the workplace.

"It captures this sort of anxiety that we all have about being thrust into a role we're not prepared for, but trying to perform competently anyway," said Rafal Zaborowski, a senior lecturer on digital culture at King's College London.

Mr. Goma's story began when he applied to the BBC for a job as a data specialist and was called in for an interview. He was waiting in the lobby when Elliott Gotkine, a producer at the British broadcaster's rolling 24‑hour news channel, approached him.NYT

The enduring magic of the clip is that everyone watching immediately recognizes the feeling: you're in the wrong meeting, nobody realizes it yet, and somehow you still have to sound professional.