SNP Minister Angela Constance was left red-faced after not realising she was on live TV during an appearance on BBC Scotland’s Sunday Politics.
The Education Secretary buckled under questioning over the SNP's policy on reducing grants for poor students, while maintaining free tuition fees for all.
Constance stumbled over her words and said: "Well we have to remember that in twenty thousand and twelve..." before asking if she could repeat the sentence: "Sorry can I start that again, twenty twelve... I’ve just said twenty thousand and twelve."
The presenter of the programme Gordon Brewer, then had to remind the Minister that the show was running live: "Alright twenty twelve, okay. We are live by the way," he quipped.
After a moment of awkwardness, the MSP held a horrified facial expression before picking up and saying: "Oh right okay, forgive me forgive me I thought it was a pre-record."
Predictably, viewers flocked to Twitter to comment on the slip-up, some describing it as a "car-crash":
SEE ALSO:
Last week Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale also faced a TV nightmare, after she was met with a silent audience after unleashing a rallying cry for support.