Holly Willoughby feared her close pal Piers Morgan was dead after she was tricked by a sick hoax.
The telly presenter, 39, raised alarm bells after she received a message asking her to film an obituary about the GMB presenter.
Overcome with panic, Holly quickly messaged him directly to ask what was going on.
The duo later joked about the situation after she learned he was OK, but Piers ranted about the vile hoax in his latest online column.
He wrote in MailOnline : "Fortunately, my friends’ concern for my health marginally outweighed their natural craving to be on camera, or at least it did for the ones I know about.
"‘Are you OK?’ asked a panicky Holly. ‘I’ve been asked to record an obit message about you?’
"‘It’s a fake,’ I chuckled. ‘Out of interest, what would you have said in your tribute?’
"‘I’d have said you were a wonderfully beloved part of the ITV daytime family who will be sorely missed,’ Holly replied, ‘and that I’m available to take over presenting Life Stories.’"
Outraged Piers raced to Twitter after hearing the vicious scam last month.
He tweeted his followers: "To the pranksters currently contacting all my famous friends asking them to tape a contribution to my obituary for ITN... maybe stop being annoying little d***heads?"
The controversial telly star recently returned to Good Morning Britain after a summer break.
It was his first day back in the hotseat last month and he successfully boosted ITV's ratings.
The gleeful presenter wrote on social media: "BREAKING: Our first day back on @gmb yesterday was the highest rated show in the programme’s history! 28% audience share.
"47% up year-on-year. Sadly, @bbcbreakfast collapsed to its lowest rating of the year.. thoughts with them at this difficult time.
"Thanks for watching!"
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