The first series of This Time with Alan Partridge may have finished, but we’ve had a fine substitute in the form of Richard Madeley on Monday's Good Morning Britain.
In the space of one show, Madeley pulled off a hat-trick of low-key, yet high-entertainment, mishaps while acting as a stand-in for regular host Piers Morgan, alongside Charlotte Hawkins.
Firstly, the veteran broadcaster managed to let slip a swear word while interviewing Olly Murs and champion of The Voice UK Molly Hocking. Speaking about coming to terms with her victory, Madeley asked Hocking: "How does it feel when you think 'S***, I won it!'"
The real joy here is Hawkins's frozen grin after he says it.
Fortunately, Molly wasn’t stumped by the language and the interview carried on. Madeley later apologised for the gaffe on air, saying: "Apparently I just said the word starting with 's' and ending in 't'. I apologise."
But later on in the show, the presenter made a similar mistake when talking to Sadiq Khan. When discussing air pollution in the capital, Madeley said the London Mayor took a “no point dicking about" approach to the issue.
And then there was his chat with the young pupils of Flakefleet Primary School, who recently appeared on Britain’s Got Talent. Although the group – led by headteacher Dave McPartlin (no relation to Ant) – received a golden buzzer for their joyfully chaotic performance to Queen's Don't Stop Me Now, Madeley made clear their act "wasn't perfect” – although he quickly added "but that was the point".
Fortunately for Madeley, the group didn’t seem to be offended, with McPartlin quickly agreeing.
Madeley is expected to return to screens soon, with regular GMB hosts Susanna Reid and Morgan taking a break until Tuesday 24th April. Great news for viewers and TV reporters alike.
GMB is on 6am weekdays, ITV
