Freed Al-Jazeera journalist Peter Greste was filmed at the moment he learnt the fate of his two jailed colleagues.
The 49-year-old veteran broadcaster, who was tired and incarcerated by Egyptian authorities for allegedly reporting false news deemed "damaging to national security", himself escaped custody in February.
But two of his co-workers who were also arrested and held for nearly 12 months were released from jail on Wednesday and pardoned by President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi.
Greste, a campaigner for their freedom, was appearing on a pre-recorded Australian game show 'Pundemonium' when the news broke.
He heard that one former colleague, Mohamed Fahmy, was freed after the end credits had rolled, when a producer received a news alert, passing his phone to the presenter who then showed it to Greste.
"Oh my God," the Australian journalist exclaimed, as he scanned the message.
Upon the news being relayed to audience members, they, along with other members of the panel appearing with Greste, burst into rapturous applause.
A visibly teary Greste said: "If he's got a pardon it means - and God I hope it means - that Baher [Mohamed] is out too because it's hard to imagine him - sorry, I'm getting emotional.
Taking a moment to collect himself, he continued: "I mean we've been fighting for the past eight months for this, and I mean I - Christ I'm sorry," his voice catching again.
"That's one down," he managed to muster.
Both reporters, Canadian journalist Fahmy and Egyptian national Mohammed, will be released late on Wednesday, humans rights activists, state media and the lawyer of one of the reporters said.