Good Morning Britain presenter Charlotte Hawkins was left horrified after a ‘£7000,000 pearl necklace once owned by Marilyn Monroe’ fell apart live on air.
The TV presenter, 48, was asked to model the late actress’s ‘priceless’ necklace on Monday’s show, after it sold at auction over the weekend for a huge amount of money.
Warned not to touch the pearls, Charlotte lifted her hair as an auction curator called Jane placed the artefact around her neck.
But disaster struck as just seconds after co-host Richard Madeley, 67, asked what would happen if the pearls unthreaded, they did just that, resulting in a shriek from Charlotte.
Stunned silence filled the studio as the presenters showed their fear at having been involved in the necklace’s demise – but it was soon revealed that the whole ordeal had been an April Fools prank.
Good Morning Britain presenter Charlotte Hawkins was left horrified after a £7000,000 pearl necklace once owned by Marilyn Monroe fell apart live on air on Monday
Celebrity Big Brother star Zeze Mills, 34, had joined the show as an Entertainment correspondent, reading out the showbiz stories of the day.
One of these features included the Marilyn Monroe auction, as Zeze spoke through some of the icon’s pieces that were sold for whopping amounts of cash.
The final piece to be discussed was a pearl necklace, which Zeze then said GMB had in the studio that day for one of the presenters to try on.
Zeze said: ‘Another item sending shocks through the auction room is this pearl necklace, given to her [Marilyn] by her husband Joe DiMaggio.
‘You may have noticed actually that we’ve got some security in the studio and I would love to say it is for us but it’s not it’s for the necklace.
‘It was originally estimated at around £275,000 but sold for just short of £700,000 to an anonymous bidder.’
She added: ‘Very excitingly, the owner has allowed one of us to model it. Charlotte, would you like to do the honours? Let us know how it feels on the neck.’
Charlotte rose from her seat and made her way over to the ‘curator’ Jane, who began to put the necklace around her neck.
Richard also got up to go and take a picture of Charlotte wearing the necklace, before asking rather foreshadowingly: ‘Wouldn’t it be awful if they unthreaded?’
Warned not to touch the pearls, Charlotte lifted her hair as an auction curator called Jane placed the artefact around her neck
Celebrity Big Brother star Zeze Mills, 34, joined the show as an Entertainment correspondent, reading out the showbiz stories of the day
‘Oh please don’t…’ Charlotte began to reply, before the pearls exploded off the necklace and fell all over the studio. ‘Richard you made that happen!’ she shrieked.
Horrified at what had happened, Charlotte quickly confirmed she had not touched the necklace.
‘This has got to be an April Fools,’ Richard said, before Charlotte added: ‘It’s not my April Fools. I really hope it is otherwise I’ve sort of been a part of damaging a very expensive necklace.’
The presenters suggested going to an advert break so the pearls could be collected, before Richard was told through his ear piece that there was a breaking news alert.
Marverine Cole, another journalist on the ITV show, said: ‘We do have some breaking news, just to inform you that the pearl necklace we’ve had in the studio, you won’t be surprised to know, is completely worthless.
‘Oh please don’t…’ Charlotte began to reply, before the pearls exploded off the necklace and fell all over the studio
Horrified at what had happened, Charlotte quickly confirmed she had not touched the necklace
‘Jane our curator is a brilliant actress and you have all been April Fooled.’
The presenters erupted into laughter, expressing their relief.
‘Isn’t it weird that I said what if it unthreaded,’ before turning to Charlotte and asking: ‘Did you honestly not know?’
She said: ‘No I did not know. I thought I was responsible. It was only when you said to me I hope it doesn’t all fall and it literally did right on cue.’
‘Beautifully timed,’ Richard replied.