Susanna Reid was left stunned when one of the show's reporters revealed what had happened as he chatted away to a Hollywood A-lister.
The presenter was in the London-based studio alongside Richard Madeley when the ITV news programme returned on Monday morning which heavily focused on the fallout from the Oscars which took place in Los Angeles on Sunday night.
Every conversation turned to that of Will Smith who overshadowed his own Oscar-winning glory by getting into a bust-up at the star-studded ceremony after he appeared to take offence at a gag comedian Chris Rock made about wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s short haircut.
Red Table Talk host Pinkett Smith has previously spoken about her struggles with alopecia and said it is what prompted her to shave her head. Referring to Pinkett Smith's buzzcut, Rock said: "Jada, can’t wait for GI Jane 2", prompting the actress to roll her eyes.
However, after at first appearing to laugh in response, Smith walked up on stage and appeared to strike Rock in the face in front of the Hollywood crowd at the Dolby Theatre before returning to his seat and shouting twice: "Keep my wife’s name out of your f****** mouth."
The altercation clearly left Rock shocked and flustered as he tried to resume presenting the best documentary feature category. The incident then cast a cloud over Smith’s acceptance speech for his first-ever Oscar after he was named best actor for his portrayal of Richard Williams, the father of tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams, in King Richard.
The incident was the hot topic of conversation on GMB with viewers spotting 'friction' between Susanna, 51, and Richard, 65, as they shared their different views on the situation that has shocked the entertainment world.
It was also the only question the stars of the big-screen were being asked about as they walked up and down the official Oscars after-party red carpet and Elton John's Oscars party.
Good Morning Britain's North American correspondent Noel Phillips was quizzing the various stars on the incident when he grabbed a chat with Kevin Costner who said he "was backstage" when the explosive exchange happened.
As the award-winning actor moved on, Noel turned back to address the camera and the hosts back in the studio and said: "A lot of these really big-names celebrities don't want to be addressing the issue of Will Smith and Chris Rock." He then added: "While I was asking the questions, I was getting poked in my back by Kevin Costner's manager."
As Richard laughed, Noel's admission shocked Susanna who sat open-mouthed before commenting: "Noel, that's extraordinary. That's absolutely remarkable. So you basically had the manager actually saying, 'don't ask the questions?'"
It was then time to move on and a baffled Susanna told viewers they'd be bringing them more reaction for the ceremony.
