Well even funnier than that he said bugs and then corrected himself (although I am pretty sure the two words have a strict definition that means they are not interchangeable). He also used the word antenna lots of times too! Most ham textbooks in the UK use the term antenna, but common usage is definitely still aerial
We'll definitely always use aerial for the TV or radio receiving thing on the roof, or the thing you pull out the back of the set. Seeing the sibling comment with a distinction, and yeah I have heard it occasionally for transmission capable. A 30 foot pole in the back yard might indeed get called antenna.
We don't seem to use bugs as a catch all much any more, though it's coming back, and we always kept it for bed bugs. Not especially consistent - but few of these transatlantic complaints are!
I suspect the British chap being picky about transatlantic language exchange probably called them insects, not bugs. ;)