Hilarious moment a BBC Sport presenter forgets what he should do to end a bulletin - so taps his HAND pretending it is an iPad 

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This is the hilarious moment a BBC Sport presenter appeared to forget what to do at the end of a bulletin - so he awkwardly began tapping at his hand while pretending he was holding an iPad.

Host Chris Mitchell had been presenting his segment on Sports Today on the BBC news channel - but the futile gesture made matters worse because viewers could clearly see he was empty handed.

The embarrassing clip has sparked some good-natured ribbing on social media, but the sports presenter has laughed the awkward moment off.  

Chris Mitchell had been presenting his segment on Sports Today on the BBC news channel but made matters worse with the futile gesture because viewers could clearly see he was empty handed

Following the incident one Twitter user wrote: 'This is the best clip I have seen in weeks!'

Kevin Robinson tweeted: 'THIS IS EVEN BETTER THAN PACK-OF-PAPER-GATE!'

Another Twitter user wrote: '@SimonMcCoy you have lost your iPad/BBC crown to @ChrisMBBCSport!' referring to the embarrassing moment the veteran host accidentally picked up a stack of photocopier paper rather than his trusty iPad.

Mr Mitchell replied: 'Simon will always be King!' 

In 2013 BBC News presenter Simon McCoy left viewers baffled when he introduced a feature about 'drunk tanks' holding a packet of paper in a clip which quickly went viral.

The clip has sparked some ribbing on social media but the presenter has laughed the awkward moment off

The incident led to comparisons with the time Simon McCoy held pack of paper throughout his bulletin

Viewers saw Mr McCoy holding the packet in a full-length shot as he hosted the item live on the rollling BBC News channel without any explanation.

But the BBC later said he had picked it up by mistake.

Although he realised his error, Mr McCoy didn't have time to swap his paper for the expensive gadget and instead 'went with it'.

That incident was not the first for Mr McCoy - he was once spotted briefly resting his head on the desk when cameras cut to him.

The camera had cut away for the local news to be read, but when it returned Mr McCoy was seen with his head resting on his folded arms on the desk.

He suddenly sat bolt upright and looked sheepish as he tried to regain his composure beside co-presenter Martine Croxall.

Following a number of mocking messages from Twitter followers, McCoy eventually tweeted: 'I was not asleep!'

Mr McCoy  was once spotted briefly resting his head on the desk when cameras cut to him (pictured)

In 2007, BBC consumer affairs correspondent Karen Bowerman interviewed who she thought was IT journalist Guy Kewney about the legal battle between the Beatles' Apple Corps and Apple Computer over the use of an apple symbol as the logo.

But her guest was in fact taxi driver Guy Goma.

Mr Goma gamely attempted to answer the interviewer's questions, but later described the incident as 'very stressful'. 

The curse of live broadcasting hasn't just affected newsreaders in the past either - weathermen have been known to fall foul of the odd gaffe.

In 2010, BBC News Channel viewers saw weatherman Tomasz Schafernaker brazenly sticking his middle finger up at breakfast show presenters Simon McCoy and Fiona Armstrong, who were off-camera.

And in 2012 Alex Deakin mistakenly swore in a live broadcast when instead of saying 'bucket loads of sunshine' he predicted 'bucket loads of c***'.

In 2007, BBC consumer affairs correspondent Karen Bowerman interviewed a man she thought was IT journalist Guy Kewney but her guest was in fact taxi driver Guy Goma (both pictured)