This Morning's Dermot O'Leary forced to apologise after guest fumes 'Are you listening?'

Rusty Lee's live cooking segment on This Morning didn't go quite as planned when co-host Dermot O'Leary got a little too engrossed in his meal, leading to a fiery on-air moment.

On the Thursday showing (July 18), Dermot alongside Alison Hammond took over presenting duties from regular favourites Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley. The dynamic duo were introduced to a culinary treat by TV chef Rusty Lee who was eager to demonstrate her signature barbecue sauce for chicken wings.

However, while the chef was mid-explanation, Dermot and Alison couldn't resist delving into the pre-made delights, much to the chef's dismay. Caught off-guard by her co-host's lack of attention, Rusty challenged Dermot live on-air: "Are you listening to me?"

A sheepish Dermot could only raise his gaze from his plate long enough to express how irresistible the food was, saying, "I'm just eating. I'm sorry, it's so good, I'm losing myself in the moment."

Laughter ensued as Rusty took the moment in stride, joking along despite the mishap. But when she returned her focus to the barbecue, disaster struck the corn-on-the-cob had turned to charcoal.

Despite Rusty's attempts to rescue her chicken wings, she declared with a chuckle, "It's all burnt," reports the Mirror.

Luckily, Alison chimed in cheerfully, offering solace to her colleague with the quip: "That's ok, I like mine a bit charred, still tastes lovely, babs."

The show descended into chaos later on as the stand-in hosts faced a barrage of technical glitches.

Amid a live Q&A with Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis, they dealt with one hiccup after another.

The well-loved pair were seen awkwardly fumbling with a tablet, trying to figure out which caller was next in line for the phone-in. To make matters worse, the consumer champion, observing from a large screen, was clearly getting irked by the unfolding debacle.

Dermot appeared at odds with the tech blunder when he informed the audience: "We'll be speaking to Eileen."

He seemed hopeful as he asked, "Do we have Eileen?" only to find out the reality: "Sadly, not no."

Alison stepped in, seizing the iPad and announcing: "Let's have a look, the phone in... on air... Tina." To which Dermot promptly corrected her: "Nope, that's yesterday, her sister isn't coming to her wedding."

After muddling through for a while, it was time for Martin to step in. Ever sardonic, he chimed in: "No one is noticing, it's good, the advantage is this show isn't live, we can edit it afterward."

This Morning airs weekdays on ITV from 10am.