Here is a list of some of the most embarassing email blunders ever made. Remember to make sure you know what you are typing, and proofread your emails before sending them out. Especially if its to a famous person, or head of state.
1. Chat-up cheese Blunder
Joseph Dobbie briefly met a woman at a barbecue party. He later acquired her email address and sent her this toe-curling message describing her smile as “the freshest of my special memories” adding that he was sure she would “be able to see sincerity where others would see cliche”. Instead, she forwarded the message to her sister and millions ended up reading it. Dobbie had included his phone number on the message and was bombarded with mocking calls from around the globe.
2. Insult the aged Blunder
Headmaster Patrick Hazlewood and his school’s bursar Barry Worth jointly received an emailed complaint from local pensioner Mary Kelly about some misbehaviour by their pupils. “Tell her to get stuffed,” typed Hazlewood, thinking his response was only going to his colleague. Alas, he hit ‘Reply All’ so his message also went to Mrs Kelly.
3. ‘Yours was yum’
Solicitor Bradley Chait received an email from his girlfriend Claire Swire fondly remembering a recent romp where she had performed a sex act on him. Recalling the inevitable conclusion of such an act, she wrote: “Yours was yum.” Chait proudly shared the email with some friends, who proudly shared it with their friends. Millions ended up reading the gory details.
4. Human Relations
Senior personnel officer John Crook recommended one of his colleagues for a pay rise and was asked by his line manager why he felt his colleague deserved it. He gave his reasons and jokingly added: “She was a grrrrrrrrreat shag as well!” He lost both his job and a subsequent claim for unfair dismissal.
5. Jo Moore has a very bad day
As the World Trade Centre crumbled on September 11, 2001, Transport Secretary Stephen Byers’ special adviser Jo Moore emailed colleagues suggesting it was a good day to bury bad news. She had to apologise after the email became public.
6. Pundits panned
When BBC Five Live acquired the services of football commentators Andy Gray and Jonathon Pearce for the 2002 World Cup, executive editor of BBC Sports News Graeme Reid-Davies jokingly emailed a colleague saying: “I think they’re both crap.” He accidentally copied his message to 500 members of the BBC sports staff – including Gray and Pearce. “I can’t believe I was such an arse,” he later reflected.
7. Racist and sexist
When black secretary Rachel Walker announced her resignation from his firm, lawyer Adam Dowdney emailed a colleague saying: “Can we go for a real fit busty blonde this time?” Walker somehow saw the message and sued for sex and race discrimination. She received £10,000 out of court.
8. Match of the day
City worker Trevor Luxton emailed friends recounting how he sat watching a football match on television, being fellated by a female friend, while he chatted to his oblivious fiancee on the phone. After the email was leaked he resigned from his firm, his fiancee dumped him and he later claimed that he’d made the whole story up.
9. Penta-gone
Devon schoolgirl Claire McDonald found herself receiving emails containing top secret information from the Pentagon after being accidentally added to a round robin list by a navy commander. One of them was offering advice to the UK on how to prevent secrets from being leaked.
10. Web Browser
Shortly after Gordon Brown returned from a charm offensive in China, Treasury press officer Robbie Browse sent an email to some friends which made fun of Chinese people’s eyes. He accidentally copied it to his press list, containing 83 leading national newspaper journalists. One them immediately replied asking: “Will we all be invited to your leaving party?” Browse faced disciplinary action.

