A blaring government emergency alert regarding wildfires interrupted the opening minutes of The One Show’s 20th anniversary special.

Presenters Alex Jones and Roman Kemp were drowned out by the siren as the extended hour-long BBC programme got underway.

The loud alarm sounded live on air just as Kemp was outlining upcoming segments, which included the return of former host Christine Lampard to the studio.

While Kemp pushed through and kept speaking, Jones shook her head and raised her hands, before she said: “You couldn’t make that up could you. Is that a fire alarm?”

Kemp then faced someone off camera and asked: “Is there some sort of fire alarm?”

“We continue,” they both said, before running through the rest of the segment introductions before the alarm cut out and Kemp said: “Ok, it’s stopped”.

The noise was an emergency alert sent out to the phones of people across England and Wales to warn communities from the growing threat posed by wildfires.

The alert, which were sent on a rolling basis from 7pm, warned people not to light anything that could spark a fire, including barbecues, campfires, and fireworks.

Recipients have also been urged to report any fire immediately by calling 999.

Following the airing of a segment, Kemp then told viewers: “As you will probably be aware that was actually a wildfire alert on everyone’s phones.

“You would have heard it on the opening of our show, but as always we hope everyone is staying safe, of course.”

In a statement released after the alert, Prime Minister Andy Burnham said: “This evening, an emergency alert has been sent to people across England and Wales as the wildfire risk remains very high. The request came directly from fire and rescue services.

“I was in Stourbridge today and saw first-hand the devastating impact these fires have had on people’s homes and lives.

“Our priority now is to keep everyone safe and prevent more fires from starting.

“During this period of extreme heat, I’m asking everyone to take extra care. Please do not light any fires in gardens, the countryside or other open spaces, including parks, moorland and wooded areas.

“Our firefighters and emergency responders are working around the clock in incredibly difficult conditions.

“We can all help them. Please take the emergency alert seriously and follow the guidance in place.”