TV news reporters are trained to keep their cool on camera. We’ve all seen footage of intrepid weather reporters yelling into a mic in hurricane winds, or calmly dealing with the interruptions of random people behind them.
But it’s fair to say that California reporter Rachel Menitoff of KTLA is made of sterner stuff than most.
As reported by PEOPLE, Menitoff was covering a heatwave on July 14, even as a cockroach suddenly appeared on her chest and skittered up to her neck. The insect proceeded to crawl around on her skin before making its way onto her microphone and fluttering off into the night.
“Just get through this moment”
SURPRISE LANDING
— KTLA 5 Morning News (@KTLAMorningNews) July 15, 2026
An insect crashed @KTLA reporter @RachelMenitoff's live shot last night, and we must praise her professionalism. Who else could remain this cool!? pic.twitter.com/a0naM2zxq9
The anchors were impressed with her composure, with one saying, “I have to hand it to her. She was really calm. That’s like a flying cockroach” as the others said “oh my god!” in surprise.
They then reveal the moment Menitoff stopped broadcasting and could finally react, letting out an appropriate squirm as she frantically swiped her arms around her body and jumped up and down in disgust. The anchors said:
“That’s one of those things that several hours later you’re still feeling it on your body, maybe even several days later.”
Menitoff later commented on the situation when she returned to the studio, confirming that she was fully aware a cockroach was crawling over her, but she refused to break her professional image:
“I knew if I took notice of it, I wouldn’t be able to continue on with the report. So I said to myself, just get through this moment and then kind of shake it off.”
All this said, Menitoff’s cockroach encounter could have been far worse, as this man who ended up in the emergency room with a flying cockroach lodged in his ear would attest
The comments are similarly impressed that she didn’t freak out, with one saying her lack of reaction is “beyond me”:
Looks like a cockroach. How she didn’t freak out despite being in camera is beyond me.
— CindyFineArt (@CCBigData) July 15, 2026
“Looks like a cockroach. How she didn’t freak out despite being in camera is beyond me.”
Others say, “Please give her a raise and put her on whenever there is breaking news. This woman has nerves of steel”, “She stayed calmer than I would’ve. I would’ve resigned on live TV”, and “I don’t know how she didn’t at least flinch. I would have launched that mic to the moon.”
And, in a similarly unpleasant situation, a nurse reported that she was left disgusted after treating a patient who coughed and expelled a cockroach from his mouth.
