Friday saw the start of the Chinese new year, with this being the year of the horse.

Unfortunately the BBC News subtitle system didn’t understand the memo quite right, and instead declared this the "year of the whores", much to the embarrassment of the channel.

“Welcome to the year of the whores. People around the globe celebrate,” read the subtitles.

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Noticing the blunder, a number of eagle eyed viewers were able to quickly grab a screenshot and post it on Twitter.

@tirnaog09 wrote: “Happy Chinese New Year, according to BBC Subtitles it should be an interesting one! :-)”

@Bobie_Bobzy added: “Happy New year of the #whores from the #BBC. Bullé!”

This isn’t the first time the BBC’s subtitles have had somewhat of a malfunction, the Archbishop of Canterbury has been referred to as the “Arch bitch of Canterbury”, while during coverage of the Queen Mother’s funeral there was a call for “a moment’s violence”.

Shape Created with Sketch. In pictures: Chinese New Year 2014 - Year of the Horse celebrations Show all 40 left Created with Sketch. right Created with Sketch. Shape Created with Sketch. In pictures: Chinese New Year 2014 - Year of the Horse celebrations 1/40 UK Young cultural ambassadors from Beijing dressed in traditional clothes pose for pictures during a photocall in the heart of London's Chinatown ahead of Chinese New Year celebrations 2/40 Hong Kong Performers take part in a Chinese New Year parade in Hong Kong. Chinese communities across Asia have come together to usher in the Year of the Horse 3/40 Hong Kong Performers get ready before the start of a Chinese New Year parade in Hong Kong 4/40 Hong Kong Performers display a dragon dance during a Chinese New Year parade in Hong Kong 5/40 Hong Kong Performers chat before the start of a Chinese New Year parade in Hong Kong 6/40 Hong Kong Performers dance at the Cathay Pacific International Chinese New Year Night Parade in Hong Kong 7/40 China Dancers perform a fire dragon dance in the shower of molten iron spewing firework-like sparks during a folk art performance to celebrate the traditional Chinese Spring Festival on the first day of the Chinese Lunar New Year, which welcomes the Year of the Horse, at the Happy Valley amusement park in Beijing 8/40 China Folk dancers huddled together during cold weather as they prepared for their performance on the first day of the Chinese Lunar New Year, which welcomes the Year of the Horse, at the Longtan park in Beijing 9/40 China Worshippers burn incense to pray for good fortune on the first day of the Chinese Lunar New Year, which welcomes the Year of the Horse, at Dafo temple in Chongqing municipality 10/40 China Chinese worshippers burn joss sticks at the Dongyue Temple in the hope that it brings them prosperity and good fortune for the Year of the Horse in Beijing 11/40 China A vendor sells artificial flowers and apples, popularly used as decorations, on the first day of the Chinese Lunar New Year at the Longtan park in Beijing 12/40 China A performer exhibiting his skills in strength stretches a bow fortified with high tension cables during an entertainment segments for visitors to a temple park to mark the Lunar New Year in Beijing 13/40 Bali, Indonesia An Indonesian ethnic Chinese man lights incense as he prays during Chinese New Year celebrations at a temple in Kuta 14/40 Bali, Indonesia People hold incense sticks as they attend prayers during Chinese New Year celebrations for the Year of The horse at Bahtara Sasana Temple in Denpasar 15/40 Bali, Indonesia A Balinese woman holds incense sticks as she attends prayers during Chinese New Year celebrations for the Year of The horse at Dwipayana Tanah Kilap Temple in Denpasar 16/40 Bali, Indonesia Two kids hold incense sticks as they attend prayers during Chinese New Year celebrations for the Year of The horse at Satya Dharma Temple in Denpasar 17/40 Bali, Indonesia A woman with her children hold incense sticks as they attends prayers during Chinese New Year celebrations for the Year of The horse at Satya Dharma Temple in Denpasar 18/40 Indonesia A Chinese opera performer prepares backstage before The Beauty of China Opera show at Pakuwon Bllroom in Surabaya 19/40 Indonesia Actors perform on stage during The Beauty of China Opera show at Pakuwon Ballroom in Surabaya 20/40 Thailand Three young children pose for the camera in traditional costume in Chinatown in Bangkok 21/40 China The horse toys are seen at a game area of the Spring Festival Temple Fair for celebrating Chinese Lunar New Year of Horse at the Temple of Earth park in Beijing 22/40 China Preparations for the Year of the Horse celebrations start ahead of the last day of January 23/40 China Performers in traditional costume entertain visitors on the evening of the Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, at a park fair in Beijing 24/40 China A clown performs at the Spring Festival Temple Fair for celebrating Chinese Lunar New Year of Horse at the Temple of Earth park in Beijing 25/40 China A man pulls ribbons from his mouth as he performs a feat of his strength during the opening of the temple fair for Chinese New Year celebrations at Ditan Park, also known as the Temple of Earth, in Beijing 26/40 China A performer in traditional costume entertain visitors on the evening of the Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, at a park fair in Beijing 27/40 China Performers do the horse dance on the evening of the Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, at a park fair in Beijing 28/40 China A performer gets ready for his performance on the evening of the Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, at a park fair in Beijing 29/40 China A Chinese family pose for photos with a folk artist at the Spring Festival Temple Fair for celebrating Chinese Lunar New Year of Horse at the Temple of Earth park in Beijing 30/40 China Chinese folk artists perform during the opening ceremony of the Spring Festival Temple Fair at the Temple of Earth park in Beijing 31/40 China The Chinese Lunar New Year of Horse also known as the Spring Festival, which is based on the Lunisolar Chinese calendar, is celebrated from the first day of the first month of the lunar year and ends with Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day 32/40 Bali, Indonesia People take part in a dragon dance parade one day before the Lunar new year of the horse in Kuta on Bali 33/40 Cambodia People pray in a temple in Phnom Penh 34/40 Cambodia Lion dancers prepare to perform in front of the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh 35/40 Hong Kong People stand under the lanterns displayed for the Lunar New Year as China prepares for the Year of the Horse at Wet Kowloon waterfront promenade in Hong Kong 36/40 Indonesia People pray at a temple in Jakarta's China town ahead the upcoming Lunar New Year Year of the Horse 37/40 Indonesia An elderly woman waits for customers at her shop that sells Chinese New Year decorations in Makassar 38/40 Philippines A Filipino group performs a lion dance on the evening of the Chinese New Year in Manila Ocean Park 39/40 Philippines A saleswoman holds Chinese lanterns for a customer in front of a department store on the evening of Chinese New Year at Manila's Chinatown district of Binondo 40/40 Philippines Customers choose from various good luck charms sold during the evening of the Chinese New Year in Manila's Chinatown 1/40 UK Young cultural ambassadors from Beijing dressed in traditional clothes pose for pictures during a photocall in the heart of London's Chinatown ahead of Chinese New Year celebrations 2/40 Hong Kong Performers take part in a Chinese New Year parade in Hong Kong. Chinese communities across Asia have come together to usher in the Year of the Horse 3/40 Hong Kong Performers get ready before the start of a Chinese New Year parade in Hong Kong 4/40 Hong Kong Performers display a dragon dance during a Chinese New Year parade in Hong Kong 5/40 Hong Kong Performers chat before the start of a Chinese New Year parade in Hong Kong 6/40 Hong Kong Performers dance at the Cathay Pacific International Chinese New Year Night Parade in Hong Kong 7/40 China Dancers perform a fire dragon dance in the shower of molten iron spewing firework-like sparks during a folk art performance to celebrate the traditional Chinese Spring Festival on the first day of the Chinese Lunar New Year, which welcomes the Year of the Horse, at the Happy Valley amusement park in Beijing 8/40 China Folk dancers huddled together during cold weather as they prepared for their performance on the first day of the Chinese Lunar New Year, which welcomes the Year of the Horse, at the Longtan park in Beijing 9/40 China Worshippers burn incense to pray for good fortune on the first day of the Chinese Lunar New Year, which welcomes the Year of the Horse, at Dafo temple in Chongqing municipality 10/40 China Chinese worshippers burn joss sticks at the Dongyue Temple in the hope that it brings them prosperity and good fortune for the Year of the Horse in Beijing 11/40 China A vendor sells artificial flowers and apples, popularly used as decorations, on the first day of the Chinese Lunar New Year at the Longtan park in Beijing 12/40 China A performer exhibiting his skills in strength stretches a bow fortified with high tension cables during an entertainment segments for visitors to a temple park to mark the Lunar New Year in Beijing 13/40 Bali, Indonesia An Indonesian ethnic Chinese man lights incense as he prays during Chinese New Year celebrations at a temple in Kuta 14/40 Bali, Indonesia People hold incense sticks as they attend prayers during Chinese New Year celebrations for the Year of The horse at Bahtara Sasana Temple in Denpasar 15/40 Bali, Indonesia A Balinese woman holds incense sticks as she attends prayers during Chinese New Year celebrations for the Year of The horse at Dwipayana Tanah Kilap Temple in Denpasar 16/40 Bali, Indonesia Two kids hold incense sticks as they attend prayers during Chinese New Year celebrations for the Year of The horse at Satya Dharma Temple in Denpasar 17/40 Bali, Indonesia A woman with her children hold incense sticks as they attends prayers during Chinese New Year celebrations for the Year of The horse at Satya Dharma Temple in Denpasar 18/40 Indonesia A Chinese opera performer prepares backstage before The Beauty of China Opera show at Pakuwon Bllroom in Surabaya 19/40 Indonesia Actors perform on stage during The Beauty of China Opera show at Pakuwon Ballroom in Surabaya 20/40 Thailand Three young children pose for the camera in traditional costume in Chinatown in Bangkok 21/40 China The horse toys are seen at a game area of the Spring Festival Temple Fair for celebrating Chinese Lunar New Year of Horse at the Temple of Earth park in Beijing 22/40 China Preparations for the Year of the Horse celebrations start ahead of the last day of January 23/40 China Performers in traditional costume entertain visitors on the evening of the Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, at a park fair in Beijing 24/40 China A clown performs at the Spring Festival Temple Fair for celebrating Chinese Lunar New Year of Horse at the Temple of Earth park in Beijing 25/40 China A man pulls ribbons from his mouth as he performs a feat of his strength during the opening of the temple fair for Chinese New Year celebrations at Ditan Park, also known as the Temple of Earth, in Beijing 26/40 China A performer in traditional costume entertain visitors on the evening of the Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, at a park fair in Beijing 27/40 China Performers do the horse dance on the evening of the Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, at a park fair in Beijing 28/40 China A performer gets ready for his performance on the evening of the Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, at a park fair in Beijing 29/40 China A Chinese family pose for photos with a folk artist at the Spring Festival Temple Fair for celebrating Chinese Lunar New Year of Horse at the Temple of Earth park in Beijing 30/40 China Chinese folk artists perform during the opening ceremony of the Spring Festival Temple Fair at the Temple of Earth park in Beijing 31/40 China The Chinese Lunar New Year of Horse also known as the Spring Festival, which is based on the Lunisolar Chinese calendar, is celebrated from the first day of the first month of the lunar year and ends with Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day 32/40 Bali, Indonesia People take part in a dragon dance parade one day before the Lunar new year of the horse in Kuta on Bali 33/40 Cambodia People pray in a temple in Phnom Penh 34/40 Cambodia Lion dancers prepare to perform in front of the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh 35/40 Hong Kong People stand under the lanterns displayed for the Lunar New Year as China prepares for the Year of the Horse at Wet Kowloon waterfront promenade in Hong Kong 36/40 Indonesia People pray at a temple in Jakarta's China town ahead the upcoming Lunar New Year Year of the Horse 37/40 Indonesia An elderly woman waits for customers at her shop that sells Chinese New Year decorations in Makassar 38/40 Philippines A Filipino group performs a lion dance on the evening of the Chinese New Year in Manila Ocean Park 39/40 Philippines A saleswoman holds Chinese lanterns for a customer in front of a department store on the evening of Chinese New Year at Manila's Chinatown district of Binondo 40/40 Philippines Customers choose from various good luck charms sold during the evening of the Chinese New Year in Manila's Chinatown

Watch Bejing's massive firework display celebrating the Chinese New Year

