An awkward on-air mix-up saw Hollywood legend Dick Van Dyke mistakenly declared dead during a live radio broadcast
The blunder unfolded on Heart Radio’s Breakfast Show on Thursday as entertainment reporter Ashley Roberts delivered what she described as “sad news” to hosts Amanda Holden and Jamie Theakston.
Broadcasting live, Roberts began: “Dawson’s Creek’s Dick Van Dyke has passed away,” prompting immediate confusion in the studio.
Theakston quickly intervened. “Not Dick Van Dyke – come on. If you’re going to do a sensitive moment, if you’re going to do an obituary, you can’t just say Dick Van Dyke,” he said.
“He’s alive,” Holden added, as Roberts laughed at her mistake.
“Yes, he’s alive – he’s 100 years old!” Roberts corrected herself.
“Unbelievably, he’s very much still alive,” Theakston confirmed, as Roberts apologised for the mix-up. “Oh my gosh, we spoke about this, I’m so sorry,” she said.
Roberts then clarified that it was in fact James Van Der Beek who had died, not the Mary Poppins star.
News broke on Wednesday night that Van Der Beek had died aged 48 following a battle with colorectal cancer. The actor rose to fame as Dawson Leery in the hit 1990s teen drama Dawson's Creek and went on to appear in films including Varsity Blues and The Rules of Attraction.
Following the announcement of his death, tributes poured in from former co-stars. Katie Holmes, who played his on-screen love interest Joey Potter, praised his “bravery, compassion, selflessness and strength”.
“This is a lot to process. I am so grateful to have shared in a piece of James’ journey. He is beloved,” she wrote. “To share space with your imagination is sacred.”
Busy Philipps also paid tribute, writing: “James Van Der Beek was one in a billion and he will be forever missed… I am just so, so sad.”
Van Der Beek’s wife, Kimberly, with whom he shared six children, posted a link to a GoFundMe appeal, saying the family had faced significant financial strain due to the costs of his medical treatment.
Meanwhile, Van Dyke remains very much alive. The screen icon celebrated his 100th birthday in December and continues to defy expectations with his energy and fitness.
Speaking last year about his longevity, he said he credits regular exercise for his remarkable health. “Three days a week, we go to the gym – still,” he said. “I get down and do a lot of stretching and yoga-type things, sit-ups.”
