Good Morning Britain presenters Richard Madeley and Kate Garraway were left stunned during Friday’s show, when journalist John Simpson blurted out the word “wanker” live on air.

It hadn’t even turned seven o’clock when Richard and Kate sat down to talk to the BBC’s foreign correspondent about his new book which reflects on his lengthy career.

At one point, John shared an anecdote with the hosts about a moment in Beirut when he was held in what Richard described as a “mock execution”.

“[That section of the book] was me in Beirut some years ago, I was made to kneel down and a guy stuck a gun in the back of my neck, pulled the trigger and, you know, I thought my last moment had come,” he recalled.

“And then everybody laughed. And I got up and I brushed off my knees, and I thought, ‘I’ve got to reassert myself here’. So I said to the guy… ‘do you know what? You’re a real wanker’.”

Immediately realising his blunder, John held his hand to his mouth, while a stunned Richard laughed it off.

“You’re also in trouble now for saying that on breakfast television!” Kate joked, adding: “We won’t give you a mock execution, you’re OK, John. You’re OK. I think people will understand.”

Richard agreed: “I think people will fully understand that you’re talking about something… obviously we apologise for anyone who’s offended… but you were talking about something utterly fundamental.”

This isn’t the first time in recent history that Richard has had to apologise due to an explicit moment on GMB.

Last month, Harvey Price dropped the F-bomb after a mishap during an interview with his famous mum, Katie on the ITV daytime show.

Good Morning Britain airs every weekday from 6am on ITV.