Broadcaster Jackie Bird played a real trouper’s role while presenting live tonight’s issue of BBC TV Scotland’s flagship news programme, Reporting Scotland.
Just as the studio cameras were due to return to her from a film section, she could be heard, off-screen, having problems drawing breath.
For several seconds the presenter could be heard gasping off-screen, and then the programme director brought on sports presenter, Rhona McLeod – promoting her to an earlier-than-scheduled slot.
Eventually, the cameras returned to a by now composed Bird who apologised to viewers for having been overcome by “a very large frog in my throat”, and the programme continued as normal to the end when she once again apologised for the earlier enforced hiatus.
