TV reporters need to be very professional, and always keep a straight face, no matter what. Sometimes, though, life just happens - on camera!
The Majestic Unicorn
A reporter for WTLV was on duty covering the news story of a fire at a house and the following road closure when he was photobombed by a mythical creature. A woman wearing a unicorn mask and a tutu appeared behind him for no apparent reason.
Even though it wasn’t Halloween the reporter did not let her faze him and continued finishing his report without comment. She tried to grab his attention by making high-pitched unicorn neighs but to no avail. It is not clear whether she was already dressed up as a unicorn or did it especially for the camera.
Keep reading to see even more crazy on-air moments:
Surprise Guest
KTLA Reporter, Wendy Burch, was live on-air reporting on Los Angeles’ bid to host the Summer Olympics in 2024. She was so engrossed in her segment that she didn’t even notice a man creeping up from behind and stand inches away from her.
She ultimately must have felt someone breathing on her neck because she turned around and screamed. She was taken back by the unexpected presence but was a good sport about and laughed it off. The man, however, needs some lessons in personal space.
Here, Put This On
Being a news anchor means putting yourself on display for the whole world and there are bound to be a few critics. Liberte Chan, Meteorologist at KTLA was giving the morning weather report when the producer handed her a sweater on-air asking her to put it on.
When she asked for a reason he replied that the news channel was “getting a lot of emails.”
Chan accepted the sweater and put it on joking about how she looked like a librarian now. Viewers felt her black dress was inappropriate for morning news and looked more like one she would wear to go out.
Chan was gracious enough to apologize for offending her audience and promised to make sure it did not happen again.
When In The Netherlands…
A Dutch reporter wanted to make sure her interview with the mayor was well-received but luck was not on her side. She lost her footing while leaning against the boat and fell into the water while filming for an Easter Special promotional video.
The reported tried to prevent her fall by holding on to the rope next to her but it did not work. The entire crew including the mayor panicked and tried to rescue her using the mayoral chain. The sound technician even used his boom mic to pull her back up.
Bugging Out
KSNT reporter Katya Leick was on top of an army tank for her report on the military base in Fort Reilly when a large swarm of cicadas was passing through. She tried to maintain her composure and ignore the insects but one of them landed on her face.
Leick dropped the mic and screamed at the top of her lungs. She did try to resume filming even though the incident had disturbed her. And despite saying “Ok, nope, not doing it,” she managed to get through the piece without any issues.
I Feel The Earth Move Under My Feet
Reporting the news is a risky job even for anchors sitting inside the studio. A live broadcast team from Los Angeles was interrupted when a strong earthquake jolted them. They shouted, “we’re having an earthquake” and ducked under the table.
The cameras were recording the windows rattling and everything on seen shaking while the anchors cowered in fear under the desk. While it was the most practical thing to do at that time, Jimmy Kimmel and other stand-up comedians mocked them.
The male anchor’s own children found the entire ordeal hilarious.
Feminism Faux Pas
Former attorney and now TV host for Fox News Kimberly Guilfoyle is outspoken when it comes to her political opinions. She says what she feels even if she gets criticized for her views. A similar incident took place in 2014 when The Five co-host added her two cents on a debate about female voters.
While talking about sexism during the midterm elections she shocked viewers by saying that young ladies do not have the “life experience” or political knowledge to be given the right to vote. She told them to “go back on Tinder,” sending the suffragettes rolling in their graves.
Sometimes Snow Sucks
A weather reporter from Milwaukee while doing a report on the ongoing snowstorm lost her cool. While filming a live report on the tough weather conditions she decided to be honest with her audience.
“I’ve been here since, what, 3:30 this morning, it is now, I don’t even know what time it is, 9:45. I’m exhausted, I’ve run out of things to say. It is snowing, and it sucks here!” she said while looking into the corner. The viewers as well the producers reacted to her rant with laughter and cheer.
Murder Is No Laughing Matter
Stephen Grant was arrested for murdering his wife Tara Grant in February 2007. There is no joke in this news story but one Michigan reporter could not suppress his laughter when he saw his mugshot on air.
We don’t really blame her for finding his crazy eyes hilarious but matters were made worse when the producers showed the mugshot on screen for a second time sending her into another laughing fit.
She was chuckling in the middle of reading out details of the gruesome murder which did not sit well with the audience.
The Cannabis Conundrum
Charlo Greene Alaskan news anchor went viral for her dramatic confession and on-air resignation. She was doing a report on the cannabis legislation in Alaska while highlighting the Alaskan Cannabis Club. At the end of the report, she announced that she owned the business and was quitting her job at the TV station.
“Now everything you’ve heard is why I, the actual owner of the Alaska Cannabis Club, will be dedicating all of my energy toward fighting for freedom and fairness, which begins with legalizing marijuana here in Alaska. And as for this job, well, not that I have a choice but, I quit,” Greene stated.
Teleprompter Trickery
It is a well-established fact that news anchors read aloud from a teleprompter. The person in charge has the responsibility for making sure what they are typing is accurate otherwise the anchor is put in an embarrassing situation. The opposite happened for this woman in Huntsville, Alabama.
The news team tricked the anchor into reading out about her own marriage proposal on air. Disguising it a breaking news story, the anchor read that she going to be proposed to. Luckily, she said yes to the guy and the weatherman said there would be a “100 percent chance of some tears of joy tonight.”
Meteorology Can Be Exciting
Fox59 Meteorologist Jennifer Ketchmark was in the middle of her regular weather report when the producers switched to a camera overlooking central Indianapolis. At that exact moment, a rogue hornet flew at the camera sending Ketchmark screaming in terror and running off-screen.
After the incident, Jennifer had a laugh about it and even prophesized her clip going online on a blooper reel. She did pull herself together and completed the segment but confessed that she will be regretting that incident for a long time.
The Unexpected Guest
Reporter Brittany Kleyn was preparing for a live broadcast outside the courthouse when a parrot suddenly landed on her shoulder. The reporter was so surprised by its unexpected landing that she screamed in terror thinking something was attacking her.
The cameraman came to her rescue after he had had a good laugh about it and removed the parrot from her shoulder. The parrot was actually a lost pet and was recognized by the owner after the video of him and Kleyn went viral.
Criminal Rodents
While reporting the disturbing details of the disappearance of a sixteen-year-old girl named Molly Bish, Channel 3 put up the photograph of a man suspected of being involved in this crime on the screen.
The suspect’s name was Rodney Stanger but instead of showing his photo the producers sent the picture of a hamster on screen.
The news anchor maintained her composure and did not react to the hilarious error explaining, “Well, no this is not Rodney Stanger obviously.” She said they would show the pictures of Stanger later. Molly Bish’s dead body was found in 2003 and her killer is yet to be identified.
The Uninvited Guests
Guest expert Robert Kelly was on-air discussing the impeachment of South Korean President Park Geun-Hye when his kids unexpectedly burst into the room. His two daughters came inside wanting to be a part of their dad’s interview.
Kelly’s wife stormed in later and dragged the children outside. The children interrupted the expert in his very serious analysis but everyone found the clip hilarious and kept sharing it on the internet catapulting Kelly to internet fame.
Puerto Rico’s Favorite Weather Girl
Jackie Guerrido is a well-known weather forecaster in Puerto Rico. She has gained a fan following not only in her country but all over the world. Her talents include her presentation skills, meteorological knowledge as well as wearing inappropriate clothes on the air.
Guerrido was a contestant on Dancing with the Stars and later became the main attraction on Wake up America, a TV show popular with the Hispanic community. Her skin-tight outfits sat well with her mostly male audience.
Insect Invasion
Another Fox reporter was surprised by an unexpected guest while he was doing a live report. The man was on location at a beach when a large flying insect attacked him. His hilarious reaction made him an instant star. The reported screamed and flailed his hands about dramatically.
After the episode was over he awkwardly asked the cameraman was that live? We were live? Oh… brother.” The anchors back at the studio laughed at his expense and joked that he was attacked by either a small drone or a very large bug.
The Fashion Faux Pas
Tensions were high on the Nine News Now channel when all three women invited for a segment showed up wearing white. Amber Sherlock, Australian news anchor (center) was not happy with that and a fight between her Julie Snook (left) broke out.
Sherlock kept on calling Snook out for not changing her outfit with the mics recording everything. Snook had no option but to put on a black jacket in the end but before that, she threatened to leave the show altogether.
“If it’s an issue, I’ll just jump on out, honestly, said Snook and Sherlock replied, “Fine, just jump on out, if that’s what you’d like to do.” The incident was not shown on air but it still ended up on the internet.
No More Kardashians
Working as a news anchor means you do not always get to do what you want. Many times they have to cover news they do not consider news-worthy at all. Something similar happened with Josh Brown when he was asked to report about the Kardashians one morning.
He began ranting about how he had had enough of the family on live television.
On Fox35’s morning special Good Day Orlando, Brown refused to talk about the Kylie Jenner naming her pet rabbit Bruce. I’m sick of this family. It’s a non-story. Nobody cares about this family anymore,” he cried. His tirade went viral because a lot of people agreed with what he had to say.
Hotter Than Hell
Cory McCloskey, a weather reporter, was confused while reporting the temperatures in the Phoenix metropolitan area. He was surprised to see that the temperatures in some cities were reported as higher than 1,000 degrees with some going to a maximum of 2960 degrees.
The reporter, however, played it off as a technical error and admitted later on that he couldn’t authorize evacuation order for cities and jokingly advised the residents to “get out while you still can.” Everyone knows Arizona is hot but these numbers were just unbelievable.
That Was Expected…
A reporter for BBC was on location doing a story on the destruction of confiscated drugs. The drugs were if you will believe it, being destroyed by burning them in a bonfire. The drugs included heroin, hashish, opiates and other narcotics which were 8 ½ ton in weight.
Since users mostly smoke up these drugs, you can only imagine what burning them would lead to.
The reporter and the cameraman in an attempt to get the perfect shot of the burning pile of drugs inhaled the fumes. They got high and were hit by an episode of hysterical laughter. They did manage to get the shot but could not complete the report.
You won't believe how the next one made it onto the news...
Horribly Racist Prank
An unprecedented disaster struck the Asiana Airlines flight in July 2013 when the plane made a crash landing at the San Francisco International Airport. 187 casualties were reported in the news and three passengers even lost their lives.
Local news channel KTVU was doing a story on the incident when they confirmed the “names” of four of the dead captains.
An intern at the National Transportation Safety Board confirmed the racist and insulting “names” of the captains to the KTVU station who then had their anchor read them out on air. Without realizing that something was wrong the anchor shared the names with the viewers.
Afterward, the network made an open apology to the audience and fired all those involved in the segment.
Laugh Attack
Some people have a laughing fit at the most inappropriate time. This is what happened to an Australian news reporter. The team transitioned from a story about an attractive Irish traveler to the tragic news about death.
The female reporter was in the middle of a flirtatious exchange with her co-host when she had an episode of the giggles.
She couldn’t control them even when they went back on-air and was heard laughing to herself while saying, “One protester has been killed and ten people, including five children, have been killed after a building collapsed…”
After this, she burst out laughing and probably regrets her timing.
Extreme Reporting
Lee Valsvik of NBC was doing a live report from the Union Bar & Grill in Minneapolis when things got violent. Her cameraman thought it would be funny to tackle her from behind doing a mock football play.
He rammed into Valsvik and sent her crashing into the nearby table and breaking all the glasses and plates on it. She also knocked over a chair in the process but took it all in good spirit. Valsvik could be heard shouting “I’m Ok” off-screen and the news station later confirmed that she had not suffered any injuries.
Attack Of The Birds
One reporter was doing a story on a local bird infestation when he happened to walk underneath a tree that was overflowing with them. Maybe the birds heard themselves being referred to as an infestation and they decided to take their revenge.
A bird dropping fell on his shoulder which he laughed off but when he looked up flying feces landed right in his mouth. The audience could hear him screaming from miles away. Some viewers believe the whole blunder was staged.
The Clumsy Ballerina
A Russian reporter in Novosibirsk was covering a story on the poor road conditions in the area when she decided to leap across a puddle. Perhaps she was hoping to land a role as a ballerina in the Bolshoi Ballet.
Unfortunately, she could not make a graceful landing and ended up sitting in the puddle of freezing water. We hope she had spare clothes on hand because the Siberian weather can be cruel. She should make sure she has a stunt double next time.
Unscripted
Everything said on the air is not really scripted so it is important for media personalities to be careful with what they say. A news anchor while introducing the upcoming weather forecast segment said to the meteorologist “maybe we can canoodle before you get into it.” She was taken aback and rejected her offer.
That is when the anchor realized he has used the word canoodle in the wrong context. He thought it meant to chat. The man was embarrassed and begged the producers to “Take it away, get me off-camera.”
Not A Good Idea
This bold reporter tried to add some flavor to a segment about the low water levels at the lake by jumping into the water. Just before he jumped he announced that the ground would be extremely dry but it turns out that it wasn’t.
The reporter went knee-deep into the mud with the camera and crew members at the station bursting into laughter. It was not easy getting out of the mess and we bet he will never be able to wear those shoes again.
Not A Cat Person
Doing a segment on animals can be tricky and that is what Kathleen Cochrane from WJW discovered when she reporting on a couple found guilty of animal abuse. The producers thought it would look cute if she held a cat in her hands for the segment but as expected things went awry.
The second Cochrane went on-air the cat could be seen squirming and growling trying to get away. The reporter kept a hold on to the cat and ended up with scratches on her face. She ended by exclaiming “Obviously I’m not a cat person.”
Flipping Out
Rob Leth, a reporter for Global News, was at the Riverside Park in Toronto judging a toboggan race live on TV. It was going well, he had his “trusty stopwatch,” and was standing in a spot that gave him a good view of the finish line.
But maybe he was just too close for comfort. One of the racers was headed right for him and Leth realized that in time but instead of getting out the way he decided to jump over the toboggan.
He didn’t manage to clear him and was sent flipping in the air. Leth landed on his head with a loud thud and after muttering a few expletives he said, “That was a bad idea.”
Thin Air
When reporters are doing a live segment from a location there are some things that need to be taken care of such as a reliable line of communication with the studio. One reporter at the GOP celebration after Ronald Reagan was elected the President has trouble hearing his crew.
The producers had placed him right in the middle of the party.
The problem was that it was so loud in there that he couldn’t hear anything. After repeating “can you hear me” several times the reporter got frustrated. He even said it was like “talking to thin air,” but the funny part is they were all listening.
Is That A…
Siobhan Riley, reporter for WJRT in Flint Michigan went viral when she accidentally drew an inappropriate image on screen.
Riley was mapping the on-going city construction in Saginaw and her placement of circles and an oblong phallic shape was supposed to indicate where the construction started.
Riley did not realize she had made an innuendo and completed the segment with a straight face. The internet noticed, however, and after she went viral the station director stated, “This was an innocent mistake on behalf of the reporter. In no way was it intentional.”
Jordanian Jousting
All hell broke loose at a Jordanian news station when two invited guests got into an argument. One of the guests accused the other of supporting the Syrian revolution while the other was labeled a supporter of tyrant Bashar Assad.
Both threw insults at each other and then got into a tug of war.
They kept shoving the table at each other until the top detached. They then used the detached top to hit one another while live on the air. The employers must have been displeased with the whole incident but the news station chose not to press charges.
Sleeping Beauty
It is a known fact that people in the news industry work long hours but they try not to show it when they are on camera. On one early morning segment of Fox & Friends, Tucker Carlson was too tired to care.
Carlson fell asleep during a commercial break and his co-hosts did not bother to wake him up when they went back live. Everyone had a good laugh at his expense and the audience was asked to join in.
A Terrifying Turn Of Events
CNN newscaster Poppy Harlow was pregnant when she was discussing the war on ISIS with her reporter Becky Anderson. While discussing the events Harlow’s speech began to slur and she was seen struggling to catch her breath.
She passed out on-screen after which the channel cut to a commercial, leaving the viewers in a state of worry.
She completely recovered later thankfully. “For all of you on Twitter who are asking if I’m ok, thank you so much, I got a little hot and I passed out for a moment, I’m fine, we’re going to take a quick break and we’ll be right back,” Harlow said to her viewers after her return.
Denver, Home of the Big D
The Fox31 team in Denver shocked the viewer’s one morning with their mature content. While discussing the story of a hospital crash in Seattle, WA they were viewing Twitter photos of the incident being posted online.
The first picture that came up was of the crash, then the photos began to go off-topic.
Next up was a picture of Edward Scissorhands and then an omelet but that wasn’t what disturbed the audiences. A picture of a penis was shown live on air after which the feed was immediately cut off.
The camera cut to the terrorized faces of the team and but they regained their composure and carried on as if nothing had happened.
A Premature President
Tensions are high and nerves on the fritz during the presidential elections.
The news team especially is sleep-deprived and they might announce the wrong winner once in a while. This is what happened during the 2000 elections when CNN announced Al Gore as the winner before the decision came through.
CNN’s announcement was premature because the actual race was “too close to call”. After the huge mess of recounts and courts, George W. Bush emerged victorious and CNN’s blunder went down in history.
A Few Too Many
You let loose during celebrations but news reporters are always asked to maintain an aura of professionalism. At the countdown for the New Year 2017, CNN’s reporter Don Lemon forgot himself and got very drunk.
It got to the point that the co-host exclaimed, “The tequila is, like, emitting from your pores!” Viewers had to sit through an uncomfortable conversation about Lemon deciding whether or not he should pierce his ear. The surprising bit is that he wasn’t fired for his behavior.
A Kinky Confession
It might have been a slip of the tongue or maybe an actual confession but one news anchor embarrassed herself on air. During a segment about using corporal punishment to discipline children, a female anchor was asked by her male co-host if she was ever spanked during her childhood.
She candidly replied, “as a kid, no.” Implying that she did engage in spanking as an adult. She realized what she had said immediately and tried to correct herself but it was too little too late.
The Verbal Vomit
First time on TV can be nerve-racking for anyone and the same happened to a newbie reporter for North Dakota’s KFYR. The stress got to A.J. Clemente on his first day which unbeknownst to him would also be his last day. He had no idea that they were already live on-air.
Clemente began cursing during the beginning of the broadcast and startled his co-anchor who was trying to present her report. When he finally realized they were broadcasting live he was unable to get the words out right and began babbling like a child.
Did He Really Just Say That??
Glenn Beck is a renowned talk show host and political commentator but he went viral for a controversy of a personal nature. During a 2007 segment of the headline news program on CNN he was discussing nude photos with a female guest. Beck said to her on camera, “I’ve got some time and a camera. Why don’t you stop by?”
Some viewers took it as a joke but the sexually suggestive nature of the comment left the general public cringing. In 2006 Beck came under fire for cracking a similar joke with a female guest.
More Teens Are Doing What?!
What may have been a Freudian slip became an outrageously hilarious viral news clip. WDB7J’s host Virginia Roanoke went down in history for saying the F-word on-air.
While covering a story about teens looking for summer jobs Roanoke said, “more teens are having .” She immediately corrected herself but the damage was done.
“Weather” You’re Visible Or Not…
Transparency has always been a hot topic on the news and L.A. based weatherwoman Liberte Chan took it to the next level when she showed her audience a clear view of the forecast.
The meteorologist is always facing wardrobe malfunctions but this time she let the audience see through her. She chose a dress that matched with the green screen and blended into the weather map. It got to the point where a coworker had to offer her a blazer.
The Blunder Down Under
Australian news presenter Samantha Armytage is a popular face on television Down Under, but it was her midsection that was all the focus after a vigorous sneeze. Upon returning from an ad break, the Sunrise breakfast TV program curiously found co-anchor David Koch holding Armytage’s waistline.
“Welcome back, we’ve got a wardrobe malfunction,” announced Koch as the crew scrambled on screen to assist Armytage. It turns out she experienced a strong sneeze which unbuckled her belt and caused an entire hullabaloo.
Carrying On Like A Pork Chop
It is an embarrassing situation when the newscaster is doing a report on a serious issue and everyone goes wild over a blooper. Good-humored media personalities take it in stride and use it to their benefit.
In Hayley Wielgus’ case, her report about pigs went viral when the graphic image of a snout landed over her face. The placement was hilarious and sent audiences rolling on the floor.
From Breaking The News To Breaking The Silence
You know when a TV channel dubs its segments as “The Most Excellent Technical Meltdown in Live Television News History” that it is going to be epic. Something glorious happened on Chicago’s WGN-Channel 9 news.
The team turned a technical difficulty into something hilarious.
The audio for the channel was off for 19 whole minutes. This meant that the news team could not be heard but only seen as the camera continued to roll. The news anchors did not miss the opportunity to unleash their funny side and used dry-erase boards to pen down extremely funny messages.
Did they do it for the ratings? We’ll never know.
Pride And Peculiarity
L.A. broadcaster Christina Pascucci must be used to having her own dedicated male following but the brunette reporter was probably not expecting an unwanted advance while on the job. She was doing a report on the Pride Parade in the city of Los Angeles when it happened.
While the Parade is all about celebrating love and freedom, Pascucci became the center of attention for the revelers.
She was just in the middle of delivering her observation on how there have been almost no disturbances in the festivities when a completely random stranger made off faces in the background and shouted “you’re so f***ing hot” before he ran off.
Fox-y News Leg Syndrome
Kimberly Guilfoyle is always in the news for starting a new controversy. She is the lanky broadcaster for Fox News and always makes sure the camera highlights her tan long limbs. With all the focus on her limbs it is no surprise that sometimes the audience might catch a glimpse of more than they would fancy.
Her long gorgeous legs are known to distract the viewers from the real news but the internet went nuts when she came close to fully exposing herself on air. Guilfoyle was sitting in the center of the set wearing a red dress when she experienced a wardrobe “malfunction.”
Polar Plunge
Toronto meteorologist Tom Brown was at the local zoo feeding pumpkins to polar bears and all was going well. The CTV News anchor started throwing the fruit from a perch situated above the animal’s enclosure.
The camera went back and forth between an excited bear and an excited Brown. Two pumpkins went splashing into the pool of water and he got too excited for the third throw and sent his microphone flying as well. He could be seen gesturing to the studio in a rather funny manner alerting them of the situation.
F-Bomb Flub
Former news anchor for WNBC Sue Simmons is a legend in her locality. She worked hard for three decades in the New York news station and was one of the leading African American media figures in her day.
