Radio host Ashley Roberts confuses Van Dyke for Van Der Beek in major on-air blunder

Veteran radio host Asheley Roberts makes a major on-air blunder, announcing Dick Van Dyke dead instead of James Van Der Beek.

During the live broadcast of an entertainment news update on Britain’s Heart FM, the former Pussycat Dolls singer mistakenly announced the death of the Hollywood icon while co-anchoring with Amanda Holden and Jamie Theakston.

While reading the news, what she described as “sad news,” Roberts told listeners, “Dawson’s Creek’s Dick Van Dyke has passed away.”

Ashley Roberts, however, meant to say Dawson’s Creek star James Van Der Beek, who died on Wednesday, February 11, at age 48, after a long battle with colorectal cancer.

Robert’s co-host came to the rescue after she committed a major blunder on-air, interjecting, “Not Dick Van Dyke—come on. If you’re going to do a sensitive moment, if you’re going to do an obituary, you can’t just say Dick Van Dyke.”

Holden B then jumped in, clarifying that the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang actor is “alive.”

Upon realizing that she had made a blunder on-air, Roberts acknowledged that Van Dyke had recently celebrated his 100th birthday.

“Yes, (he’s alive)—he’s 100 years old! Oh my gosh, we spoke about this, I’m so sorry,” she added.

Theakston quipped, which appears to take a jab at his co-host, Roberts, “Unbelievably he’s very much still alive.”

For the unversed, the on-air blunder comes almost two months after the Mary Poppins actor celebrated his centenary with a low-key celebration at his Malibu home alongside his wife, Arlene Silver.