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Home / World

BBC Dad viral video kids all grown up as Robert E Kelly shares update

NZ Herald
11 Mar, 2026 01:26 AM3 mins to read

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Robert Kelly, an expert on Korea, gets a surprise visit from his children when being interviewed live on the BBC

The family behind one of the internet’s most memorable viral moments have shared a heartwarming update nine years later.

Robert E. Kelly was in the middle of a live cross with the BBC to discuss South Korean politics in 2017 when his children burst into his home office mid-interview.

Kelly appeared flustered as his 4-year-old daughter Marion entered the room dressed in a bright yellow jumper, performing a comical dance as she approached the screen.

He attempted to gently push the girl out of view when suddenly her 9-month-old brother James rolled in through the doorway in a walker.

Robert Kelly's live BBC interview was interrupted by his dancing toddler and baby. Photo / BBC, Facebook
Robert Kelly's live BBC interview was interrupted by his dancing toddler and baby. Photo / BBC, Facebook
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Interviewer James Menendez asked, “Do you think relations with the North may change?” while Kelly desperately tried to maintain his composure.

Kelly’s wife, Jung-a Kim, was then seen skidding into the room in a panic, unsuccessfully trying to discreetly drag the children out as they screamed.

After Jung-a Kim crawls back into the room to close the door, Kelly quickly apologises before continuing the interview.

Robert Kelly's live BBC interview went viral after his children joined in. Photo / BBC, Facebook
Robert Kelly's live BBC interview went viral after his children joined in. Photo / BBC, Facebook

“There’s a first time for everything. I think you’ve got some children who need you,” Menendez said at the end of the interview.

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Footage of the on-air blooper quickly went viral, racking up six million views in a single day.

Online users described the moment as hilarious and relatable, propelling the clip into YouTube’s top 10 trending videos of 2017 and turning the family into an overnight internet sensation.

Marion is almost as tall as her mother now, and that last pic is from 9 years ago, around the time of the BBC video.

Many people still tell us how much they enjoyed the video. How nice. We continue to be grateful for your kind words about our family.

Best, Bob K pic.twitter.com/R6dJfzkgAZ

— Robert E Kelly (@Robert_E_Kelly) March 10, 2026

Kelly took to X this week to mark nine years since the now-famous “BBC Dad” moment.

“Many people still tell us how much they enjoyed the video,” he wrote, adding: “How nice. We continue to be grateful for your kind words about our family”.

Kelly also shared that Marion is now 13 and James is nine, posting updated photos of the family.

Robert E Kelly and his daughter Marion nine years after their viral video. Photo / Robert E Kelly
Robert E Kelly and his daughter Marion nine years after their viral video. Photo / Robert E Kelly

“One of the best videos EVER. Every parent afterwards working from home felt this moment!” one commenter said.

Some social media users said they were stunned to realise the clip predated the Covid lockdowns, saying they had always assumed it was filmed during the work-from-home era.

Jung-a Kim and Marion from the 'BBC Dad' viral video. Photo / Robert E Kelly
Jung-a Kim and Marion from the 'BBC Dad' viral video. Photo / Robert E Kelly

“One of the greatest moments in television. You have a beautiful family,” another commenter said.

Others said the moment perfectly captured the chaos of parenting, with one commenter hoping Marion still “walks into rooms with that exact same energy”.

Robert E Kelly with his wife Jung-a Kim and their children Marion and James. Photo / Robert E Kelly
Robert E Kelly with his wife Jung-a Kim and their children Marion and James. Photo / Robert E Kelly

Some commenters suggested the family should recreate the viral blooper for its 10th anniversary next year.

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