Morning Ireland sorry for 'bizarre' Bassey bulletin blunder

RTÉ Radio listeners woke to sound of Welsh diva during news report

Those of you who awoke thinking Shirley Bassey was the latest addition to RTÉ Radio 1’s revamped Morning Ireland team could easily be forgiven. Photograph: Alan Betson/The Irish Times
Those of you who awoke thinking Shirley Bassey was the latest addition to RTÉ Radio 1’s revamped Morning Ireland team could easily be forgiven. Photograph: Alan Betson/The Irish Times

Those of you who awoke thinking Shirley Bassey was the latest addition to RTÉ Radio 1's revamped Morning Ireland team could easily be forgiven.

The 7am news bulletin was unexpectedly interrupted by the Welsh singer's enigmatic voice, who is perhaps most famous for recording several James Bond theme tunes.

The singer was not the newest newsreader for the country’s most popular radio show nor had she passed away, as some people on Twitter said they had thought .

The truth behind the impromptu Bassey broadcast was a lot less exciting - a technical error.

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Shortly after the incident Morning Ireland apologised through Twitter for the disturbance saying there was a “breakthrough from another studio” and added that it was “one of the most bizarre things” that has ever happened on the show.

Presenter Gavin Jennings later referred to the incident as an omnishambles during the 8am news bulletin, which went off without a hitch.