BBC News was interrupted this afternoon as the noise from the emergency alert test could be heard in the studio.
BBC newsreader Richard Preston was discussing the alert live on air with a guest, who appeared via video link, as the alarm noise could be heard in the background.
The 10 second siren sounded around 3pm and was accompanied by a message which popped up on the front of mobile phones explaining the siren was a test.
As the noise could be heard from the studio, it was clear the guest was not distracted by the noise but host Richard was. He looked straight into the camera and showed an awkward expression as the guest continued talking while the noise played.
He then decided to interrupt her as he said: "Let me just interrupt you there, we've heard the alert going off as you've been speaking."
Richard continued: "Let's go to some of our live shots now up and down the country of people receiving this alert."
The camera then cut the images of people in the streets across the UK as their phones went off.
Viewers reacted to the on-air blunder on Twitter as one user posted a video of the moment and wrote: "Surreal scenes as BBC News carried the emergency alert live."
"obsessed with the presenter," another added.
A third penned: "This is way more hilarious than it deserves to be."
"Well that was exciting. The only one heard was in the studio & no public reaction whatsoever," another wrote.
Meanwhile, the alert could also be heard on 5 Live Sport's broadcast, too.
The alarm was received by millions of mobile phone users in the UK as a loud alarm was emitted as part of a new public alert being tested by the Government.
The trial of a system designed to warn Brits if there is a danger to life nearby lasted for about 10 seconds at 3pm, with the warning being sent to all 4G and 5G devices.
Now established, the system will be used in life-threatening emergencies including flooding and wildfires.
However, some users have claimed they didn't receive the alert.
One joked: "i didn’t get the national alert so i’d be dead by now if it was an emergency #emergencyalert".
Another added: "So the National Alert didn’t even get sent to everyone? Can the government do anything right".
And a third chimed in with: "I didn’t get the national distress alert. Should I be worried? Na so I go miss trumpet?"
"I didn’t get an emergency alert. Nice to know that when there’s a national emergency and the rest of you are hiding in your bunkers and safe houses, I will have to confront the enemy myself. Best believe I will be joining the opps and leading them straight to 10 Downing Street," another joked.
