A BBC newsreader was on the verge of an embarrassing wardrobe malfunction after the zipper of her dress "burst" open moments before her bulletin went live.

On Monday, reporter Liz Beacon revealed she was called in to serve as a last-minute host for the evening news program.

With little time to spare, the 43-year-old selected a fitted, long-sleeve dress from Zara - a garment she had never worn before.

While she said she noticed the zip was a bit "sticky" when she did it up, she put this down to the dress being a more fitted style.

Never did she imagine, moments later, the whole thing would come apart.

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"It was a bit sticky when I did the zip up, but I just thought that was because the dress is quite a tight style anyway," Beacon said, according to news agency South West News Service (SWNS.)

"We go live on air at 6.30pm and at about 6.10pm. I felt this pop and thought, I don't believe this, I think the zip has just gone," she recalled.

"I asked the director … to come and take a look, and when she saw it, she gasped and said 'Quick, get me some clips and some gaffer tape'.

"There were three people helping me in the end, with fellow presenter David Garmston next to me trying to keep me calm."

The quick fix did the trick, and the news program continued without issue - though Beacon admitted she was slightly uncomfortable.

"I couldn't relax the entire program, which is most unlike me! I kept feeling it move and was completely paranoid that it would ping open again," she said.

In the days since, the reporter has been in touch with Zara in the hope of receiving a replacement.

"Talk about being strapped in for the ride … zip on my brand new dress exploded with 15 minutes to go until we were on air. Gaffer and clips at the ready! Not glamorous. Or fun," Beacon joked on Twitter.

In reply to the newsreader's tweet, fashion giant Zara messaged back to apologise and to assure her their products undergo thorough checks before distribution.

Fans of the journalist were quick to say they thought she had done a great job of remaining calm - despite the tenuous situation.

"I bet you were mortified, amazing you kept smiling lie a true professional. I guess you have your fingers cross it would hold," one person wrote.

This article originally appeared on Fox News and was reproduced with permission