Good Morning Britain presenter Richard Madeley called out weathergirl Laura Tobin live on air after she vanished from the studio on Monday morning.
The 70-year-old ITV host was seconds away from handing over the breakfast broadcast to the 44-year-old meteorologist when he noticed she was missing after taking an impromptu trip to the toilet during a commercial break.
Co-presenter Ranvir Singh, 48, gasped "Oh!" as Madeley announced the unexpected absence to viewers: "We have a vanishing weather girl."
Madeley continued: "Laura is supposed to be here to do the weather… echoing silence!" while Singh attempted to keep calm on set, asking: "Where is she hiding? She will be here in a minute."
Tobin arrived fashionably late back onto the set, prompting Madeley to interject: "Here she is! Here she is." He then asked the weather presenter: "Did you lose your sense of timing?"
Admitting she had stepped away to use the bathroom during the break, Tobin joked: "I just nipped to the loo, now everyone knows."
Good Morning Britain is ITV's flagship morning news and current affairs programme, broadcasting live every weekday across the United Kingdom. Madeley, a veteran broadcaster who previously hosted This Morning, regularly anchors the show alongside presenters including Singh and Garraway, while Tobin has delivered weather forecasts on the show since 2014.
Studio toilet break delays
The live broadcast mishap follows a similar incident last week involving fellow broadcaster Kate Garraway, 59, who was caught trying to sneak back onto the Good Morning Britain set.
Garraway had been co-hosting the show alongside Adil Ray when she attempted to nip to the loo during a commercial break. However, her toilet break was mistimed, forcing her to try and creep back onto the sofa while Ray was interviewing Strictly Come Dancing stars Amy Dowden and Carlos Gu.
Dowden and Gu were appearing on the programme to discuss their time on Celebrity Hunted, a reality series in which famous contestants attempt to evade a team of expert trackers.
A video package flashed up on screen showing their time on the show when Dowden suddenly trailed off as a slight commotion was heard in the studio.
Dowden then exclaimed: "Oh, good morning!" as the camera cut back to Garraway sliding onto the sofa.
Looking flustered, Garraway apologized to viewers and guests, responding: "I'm so sorry... I took a little bit too long in the shower, in the loo," before bursting into hysterical laughter.
Rolling his eyes in mock annoyance, Ray interjected: "She hasn't heard about the drought and the short showers! It's alright, we're here now."
UK drought and heatwave
Ray's lighthearted remark referenced the UK's ongoing heatwave, which has seen almost half of England officially placed under drought status.
Some areas have not seen rain in 43 days, with temperatures soaring to 34C on Wednesday. An official drought declaration allows water authorities to implement conservation measures during severe heat.
A total of seven areas have been declared in drought: London and Hertfordshire, where the Good Morning Britain offices are based, alongside the Thames Valley, East Anglia, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, Devon and Cornwall, the West Midlands, and Wessex, covering Dorset, Somerset, Wiltshire and south Gloucestershire.
