British Prime Minister Keir Starmer tripped and nearly fell while attending the Group of Twenty (G20) summit. Starmer, 63, was walking into a room to meet with international business leaders in Johannesburg, South Africa, at the annual summit on Friday, Nov. 21, when he stumbled and nearly fell, footage shows. The Labour Party leader was smiling and preparing to greet other attendees. As he said “hello,” things took a turn as he tripped and fell forward, inspiring gasps around the room. He did not fall to the ground, however, and recovered quickly from the slight stumble. After just a couple of seconds, Starmer began shaking hands and greeting leaders at the summit as if nothing had happened. The Trump administration boycotted the summit, which came to an official close with the traditional handover on Sunday, Nov. 23. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa ended the annual conference by banging a gavel, which is then typically handed over to the G20 president, according to the Associated Press. The United States is slated to take over the rotating role in 2026 with President Donald Trump sharing plans to hold next year’s summit at his Florida golf club but there was no representative there to receive the gavel on Sunday, per AP. Trump, 79, boycotted the summit over his long-held and widely discredited claims about White persecution and genocide in South Africa. The South African government has repeatedly and vehemently denied allegations of White genocide, particularly against Afrikaners, descendants of Dutch and French settlers who ruled the country during apartheid. Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. When Ramaphosa visited the White House back in May, Trump suggested that White people are being disproportionately killed in the country. In response, the South African president said, “There is criminality in our country. People who do get killed, unfortunately, through criminal activity are not only White people, [the] majority of them are Black people.” Trump did, however, speak with Starmer about discussions that took place during this year’s G20 summit, according to The Independent. Over the phone, Starmer relayed what he spoke about with the coalition of the willing the coalition of countries that have pledged strengthened support for Ukraine amid the country’s war with Russia at the weekend’s summit, the British newspaper reported, citing a Downing Street spokesperson. During the “good and constructive” call, Starmer also agreed to work with Trump on his peace proposal for Ukraine, per The Independent.
https://people.com/uk-prime-minister-keir-starmer-stumbles-at-g20-summit-2025-11855425
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer Stumbles While Arriving at G20 Summit
