BBC Breakfast host Louise Minchin was left red-faced after suffering an embarrassing microphone blunder and needed co-host Dan Walker to step in for help.
The veteran presenter, 52, was today reminded that live TV can be a perilous place as her mic appeared to stop working during a news segment.
Wednesday’s show had been dominated with conversation around UK travel restrictions and rules about where Brits could travel to as coronavirus restrictions eased.
They were also talking about people’s first cars and shared pictures of BBC presenters' first motors with more photos promised to come later in the show.
Louise had been presenting the segment in a different section of the BBC Breakfast studio, but managed to disconnect her mic as she made her way back to the iconic red sofa.
Dan was wrapping up his interview with travel editor Lisa Minot as Louise sat down on the couch and attempted to update viewers on what was coming up next.
“We will have more on that in a little bit,” she said.
But viewers could not hear her, as Dan stepped in to let her know: “I don't think we can hear you.”
Louise agreed: “ I don’t think you can hear me,” before asking Dan to take over.
“What Louise was saying was…thank you very much to all of you who sent in your pictures of your very first cars,” Dan jumped in.
A red-faced Louise laughed awkwardly and asked producers: “Shall I keep talking?”
Dan then told viewers: “We’ll replug Louise in and see you in a moment.”
They then cut to the regional news with BBC crew quickly working to get Louise’s mic working again.
The awkward gaffe came just a day after Louise broke down in tears on the news show.
She got tearful during a segment about families reuniting as UK coronavirus restrictions eased around the country.
Viewers rushed to check if Louise was fine, celebrating seeing “genuine human emotion”.
Dan reassured fans on Twitter that Louise was indeed “OK” after the show.
