BBC presenter 'asleep' on desk

Millions of viewers were stunned this morning as they tuned into a BBC breakfast news bulletin - and found the presenter apparently asleep on his desk.

Simon McCoy, 50, was caught napping as cameras panned to the presenter ahead of his early broadcast.

He was seen clearly resting his head on his arms as he slumped over his desk moments before delivering a bulletin with co-host Martine Croxall.

As soon as he realised he was live on telly, McCoy looked stunned and bleary-eyed as he jumped up and tried to regain his composure.

Millions of viewers were stunned this morning as they tuned into a BBC breakfast news bulletin - and found the presenter apparently asleep on his desk.
Newsreader Simon Mccoy rests his head on the desk unaware he was "live" Photo: BBC

But viewers took to Twitter to remark on the hilarious gaffe at 8:26am. One user, called Vikki B, said: "Did I just imagine that? ￡bbcnews cuts to the news desk and fella is asleep on the desk and jumps up in shock! Haha."

Ismat Abidi added: "Never fall asleep at your desk, especially when you're a news anchor."

And Hannah Lindley said: "Hahahah just showed the local news and he was asleep on the desk!"

The journalist was caught unawares as the cameras moved from the studio where regular sofa presenters Louise Minchin and Charlie Stayt had been quizzing guests.

It is not the first time McCoy has caused amusement on his live broadcasts. On a Youtube clip in August 2009 he is shown acting wildly and banging on his desk during a piece on stock market news.

A month earlier the prankster is held up mid-air over his desk by a floor manager as he copies a fitness instructor showing Bill Turnbull and Kate Silverton how to do a push-up.

Fellow host Martine Croxall later posted on Twitter: "Intravenous cafeine now being administered to @simonmccoy.

She added: "There's no such thing as an incident-free shift with @simonmccoy."

And the man himself said in a bizarre tweet on the social networking site: "I was not asleep! Had just been told The Queen wanted me to cover her NEXT visit."

His comment prompted a flurry of what appeared to be in-jokes about his recent royal coverage.

The blooper came in the same week that Fox News presenter Doug Luzader fell asleep during a broadcast on the Republican presidential candidate 'super Tuesday' race in the US.

The hilarious gaffe shows the journalist with his head slumped on his chest as the studio news anchor tries without success to wake him.