Professor’s Viral BBC Interview Shows The Reality Of Being A Work-At-Home Parent

By Vivienne Ganmerc | Mar 13, 2017 06:56 AM EDT

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Last week, a professor who happens to be an expert on South Korean politics became a huge Internet star after his BBC interview was gatecrashed by his two young children. Though the viral moment spawned a lot of hilarious memes, it also showed the reality of what it’s like to be a work-at-home parent.

Professor Robert E. Kelly was unaware that his very serious moment on air was about to change while conducting an interview with the British network. While speaking via webcam with BBC anchor James Menendez about his insight on the ousting of South Korean president Park Geun-hye, Kelly’s 4-year-old daughter, Marion, happily walked into his home office, seemingly unaware that her father was working.

“I think one of your children’s just walked in,” said Menendez, and Kelly can be seen gently nudging the little girl backwards. But that wasn’t the end of it as Marion’s nine-month-old brother, James, came rolling in on his walker.

What happened next is the stuff of slapstick as Kelly’s wife, Jung-a Kim, skidded into the room in a frantic attempt to get the children out of their father’s home office. Kelly tried to keep his composure as books crashed to the floor while his wife, a yoga teacher, crouched down and tried to get their brood out of the door. At one point, the professor can be seen trying to stifle his giggles as his wife managed to get the kids out of the room.

At the end of the video, Menendez thanked Kelly, saying that “there’s a first time for everything.”

“I think you’ve got some children who need you,” the host laughingly said.

BBC’s David Waddell took to Twitter to ask Kelly if he had any objection to him sharing the clip of the moment on the network.

Kelly replied, “What would that mean please? Re-broadcasting it on BBC TV, or just here on Twitter? Is this kinda thing that goes ‘viral’ and gets weird?”

The clip went viral indeed as it has been viewed more than 82 million times on the BBC’s Newsbeat Facebook page. The video has gotten a lot of positive response on social media, with people saying that both Kelly and his wife handled the interruption well, applauding the professor’s professionalism and Jung-a Kim’s “ninja skills.”

“I appreciate his professionalism,” said one Facebook commenter. “There’s a time for business and a time for play. His wife was hilarious.”

Many work-at-home parents have found themselves relating to Kelly’s gatecrashed interview, citing instances where they had to find a way to do their jobs while caring for rambunctious toddlers.

“Love it,” tweeted one of Kelly’s followers. “Anyone who has ever tried to work from home can relate.”

Waddell himself took to his blog, saying he couldn’t imagine anyone handling the situation better than the way Kelly did.

“My own children are aged four and one, similar to his,” Waddell wrote. “I can’t really imagine it playing out any more calmly. I will take this clip as a warning.”

For more, check out Jobs & Hire’s tips on how to keep your kids busy if you’re a work-at-home parent.

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