Hilarious minute cat jumps onto screen as owner is being talked to live on BBC News

This is the hilarious moment a cheeky cat leapt onto screen while their owner was being interviewed live on BBC News.

News anchor Sally Bundock quizzed royal historian Marlene Koenig about Prince Harry’s ongoing High Court case against the publisher of the Daily Mirror this morning.

The expert appeared on BBC News at just after 5am UK time via a video call from her home in Virginia.

Just a few minutes into their discussion, Marlene’s tabby cat Fleur jumped up onto the historian’s lap to get her attention.

Luckily, Marlene anticipated her feline’s actions and caught hold of her cat and quickly placed them on the floor again in one swift move.

Although Marlene didn’t let her cat’s surprise appearance throw her off in the moment, she did end the interview by apologising for her opportunistic pet.

She said: ‘I just want to apologise for my cat jumping into the picture!’

Reassuring the historian, Sally said: ‘Marlene, cats often appear in this programme, I have to say.

‘I have regular contributors whose cats want to be the star of the show. We have no problem with that!’

Following the interview, amused viewers delighted in the hilarious, unscripted moment on Twitter.

Sharing the blunder with his 101,000 followers, TV critic Scott Bryan wrote: ‘INCREDIBLE CAT CAMEO.

‘The way the presenter carries on. The way the contributor doesn’t fluster. Just amazing scenes all round.’

One viewer replied: ‘The speed at which she grabs the cat makes me think it’s probably done this before when she is being interviewed.’

Pictured: Marlene Koenig anticipated her cat’s actions and put her feline down in one swift movement

The royal historian appeared on BBC News to discuss Prince Harry’s ongoing High Court case against the publisher of the Daily Mirror

Amused viewers praised the royal historian’s  impressive reflexes – while  others said the cat has probably jumped up on live TV before

Another added: ‘The reflexes though! That’s not her first rodeo.’

Meanwhile, a third said: ‘I think if I was the presenter I would have had to have said, “great save!”‘

‘Oh that’s just brilliant,’ a fourth gushed.

‘What a start to the week,’ a fifth viewer added.

Marlene later tweeted: ‘Fleur joined me for a second. I had to push her off the table!’