SHE is a television stalwart, known for a cool, calm and collected demeanour.

But Sally Magnusson could not contain her frustration on Friday night after a series of errors on BBC Reporting Scotland left her exclaiming live on air: “Sorry about this, this is a complete mess.”

The 63-year-old, who is a long-serving presenter on BBC Scotland’s flagship news bulletin, at one point rested her chin on her hand and said nothing as she waited for the glitches to subside.

When her autocue failed and audio from the gallery housing the show’s producers was heard, she told viewers: “There's a bit of confusion in the gallery, just waiting for instructions here…”

After a long silence, it was then that she branded the show a “mess”, apologised and added, “We'll see what happens next”, before clearly exasperated, she shook her head in dismay.

Social media was alight with reactions to the bulletin, with one user, Stuart Gould, saying, "Sally Magnusson having a slight meldown on BBC Scotland tonight," while another said: "Sally is a legend.”

Tom Worsley Tweeted that it was "an utterly incredible moment on BBC Reporting Scotland when the whole thing falls apart, much to the presenter's irritation," and one user replied that Ms Magnusson "is on the warpath”.

Ms Magnusson, who is also a writer, is an experienced presenter, having also worked on shows such as Songs of Praise and Panorama. She is the eldest daughter of former Mastermind presenter, the late Magnus Magnusson.