THE One Show was thrown into chaos tonight as guests Stephen Fry and Sheridan Smith got trapped in a lift.
Producers faced a race against time to free the celebrity duo so that they could appear on the programme with hosts Alex Jones and Ronan Keating.
Halfway through the programme, Alex told viewers: "Now then, we are having a night here because Stephen Fry and Sheridan Smith are due on this sofa. Obviously it's a live programme. They are stuck in the lift. So, for the time being, we will go onto a film."
Ronan said: "And they're fine. They're absolutely fine."
Alex added: "They're fine. They're in good spirits."
The Boyzone star then chipped in: "Hopefully they'll be here before the end of the programme."
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Finally, Stephen and Sheridan made it into the studio, five minutes later than billed.
Making light of the gaffe, Stephen said: "Santa's sleigh ride got a little stuck. I think the reindeer were drunk. Usually if I get stuck in a lift, I assume it's my weight but this is a goods lift so I don't know what went wrong. We kept our spirits high, didn't we?
Sheridan added: "We kept laughing."
The moment was a hit with viewers, with one writing on X: "Never usually watch The One Show, but they’ve just had to apologise on air that Sheridan Smith and Stephen Fry are stuck in a lift? Does this happen often? What is going to happen next? Will they make it out before the end of the show? I’m so invested."
Another said: "Obsessed with Sheridan Smith being stuck in The One Show lift."
A third shared: "Omg, The One Show just apologised to viewers that Sheridan Smith and Stephen Fry aren't on the sofa yet because they are stuck in a lift. This is the beginning of a sketch or play if ever I heard one!"
