Broadcaster Barry's bulletin blooper

Hilary Barry. Usually unflappable. Photo / Steven McNicholl

Award winning broadcaster Hilary Barry was consumed by fits of uncontrollable laughter while reading the news for Radio Live this morning.

Ms Barry read two consecutive stories on missing people in the lead in to her final news bulletin of the morning at 9am.

She started laughing after responding to the stories with the question: "Is anyone else missing?"

The laughter continued through the entire three minute news bulletin, despite Ms Barry interjecting, pleading with herself to "pull it together".

Before her final story on the death of Monkees' singer Davy Jones, Ms Barry said: "I can't laugh through this. This is really sad."

However, she could not stop laughing and eventually abandoned the broadcast, leaving the Monkees' song "Daydream Believer" to play with her laugh audible in the background.

"I think I may get fired today," she said.

The meltdown comes a day after Ms Barry was bitten by a spider before reading a weather bulletin.

She said her toe was swelling up and asked whether she needed to go to the hospital.

The broadcast ended with her telling listeners: "It's going to rain everywhere today, take your brolly".