Good Morning Britain’s Kate Garraway was forced to address a breaking news gaffe she made on Friday’s instalment of the ITV show after she confused Storm Eunice and the ongoing Ukraine crisis.
The ITV presenter announced breaking news for viewers partway through the programme, stating that the government had called a Cobra meeting to discuss the Russia-Ukraine tensions.
The 54-year-old was sat alongside co-presenter Ben Shephard, 47, as she introduced guest sport commentators Billy Monger and Ed Jackson, only to interrupt this with breaking news for viewers.
Kate told the audience tuning in: “It's something on the situation surrounding Ukraine. It looks like there is going to be a Cobra meeting. We know that tensions are -”
Kate then cut herself off and immediately apologised to ITV viewers, saying she had been “misinformed” as co-host Ben laughed next to her.
She continued: “Double breaking. The breaking news is breaking and it may break me. Actually the Cobra meeting is connected to Storm Eunice.”
She added: “We know that the Army is already on stand-by, but now the Cobra are gathering to look at this and tackle this, so another escalation of how seriously the government and all the authorities around the country are taking it.”
One baffled fan took to Twitter to react to the gaffe, writing: “Wtf just happened on #GMB ? “we have #BreakingNews to bring you from #Ukraine” - “#Cobra meeting” -“oh no we don’t” “#StormEunice…”
This comes as millions of Brits across the UK have been told to stay at home as one of the worst storms in decades, Storm Eunice, hits the coast.
The Met Office has issued a second rare red weather warning to cover London, in an historic first, as well as in the south-east and east of England.
A red warning was already in place for parts of south-west England and south Wales, which means there is a danger to life from flying debris.
Schools have been closed, train services cancelled and the Army is on stand-by as forecasters warn Eunice could bring wind gusts of up to 90mph on Friday, causing significant disruption and power cuts.
BBC Weather said the storm could be one of the worst in three decades, with scientists warning it will involve rare gusts last seen during the Great Storm of 1987.
The emergency Cobra meeting today will be the second time the government's top crisis committee has met in the space of 24 hours to discuss the storm.
Good Morning Britain airs weekdays at 6am on ITV.
