Commonwealth Games: BBC reporter Mike Bushell falls into pool during interview with medal-winning swimmers

Members of Team England's swimmers, including Adam Peaty and Siobhan Marie O'Connor, were left in fits of laughter after Bushell plummeted into the pool mid-interview

The BBC’s coverage of the Commonwealth Games took un expected and wet turn on Wednesday morning when news reporter Mike Bushell attempted to interview a quintet of England’s successful swimmers out on the Gold Coast, only to fall into the pool.

Bushell decided to tackle the interview hands-on as he decided to sit on the pool ledge with the athletes during the BBC’s Breakfast show. But it quickly became apparent that he would not be able to reach all the medallists sitting next to him, to he took things a step further.

The sports reporter jumped into the pool with the water riding up to his waist, and keen not to get his soundpack wet, he began to speak with 50m breaststroke gold medallist Sarah Vasey.

Reporter Mike Bushell was due to interview five of Team England's Commonwealth Games swimmers (BBC)

Bushell took a seat on ledge of the pool alongside the swimmers (BBC)

He then took things further by attempting to stand in the pool... (BBC)

...but suddenly fell in after losing his footing (BBC)

But Vasey would have no time to answer as Bushell hilariously fell off the shallow ledge in the pool and plummeted fully under the surface – soundpack, microphone and all – which caused the swimmers to erupt into fits of laughter.

Composing himself as he stepped back onto the ledge, Bushell attempted to salvage the interview with Vasey, but while fellow swimmers Adam Peaty, Ben Proud, Siobhan Marie O’Connor and James Guy tried and failed to control their laughter, it quickly became apparent that Bushell’s microphone had not been saved.

Bushell fell into a swimming pool while attempting to interview members of Team England (BBC)

To his credit, Bushell attempted to soldier on with the interview (BBC)

“I didn’t see the step! Sorry about that,” Bushell said rather sheepishly.

Back in the Breakfast studio, presenters Charlie Stayt and Louise Minchin echoed the nation’s thoughts as they could barely contain their astonishment at the blooper.

“Mike is carrying on talking but we can’t hear him, because a moment ago Mike fell in the water, his pack went in, and he doesn’t know we can’t hear him now,” Stayt said.

“Bye, Mike, it hasn’t been dull.”

Minchin added: “If you were going to set that up, you would imagine that might happen, and it did – live on national television.

“Mike fell in the pool.”

Bushell returned to the screen a few minutes later, noting: “I just thought it was a little Jacuzzi or a kid’s pool. I didn’t realise there was a step there.”