A BBC presenter went into labour shortly after reading the news on live TV, and gave birth to a boy with a fellow newsreader by her side.

Victoria Fritz, who presents the business news on BBC Breakfast, was not due to give birth until early December, but her waters broke on Tuesday after leaving the studio.

When fellow presenter Sally Nugent discovered that Fritz’s husband was stuck on the motorway, she said she would stay with her at the hospital until he arrived.

But because of heavy traffic on the M6, Fritz’s husband did not get there on time, and Nugent ended up being birthing partner for the arrival of the baby.

A BBC spokeswoman said: “When Sally heard that she’d gone into labour she offered to be there until Victoria’s husband got there. But her husband never arrived so she found herself at the birth.”

Fritz tweeted:

Nugent wrote:

On BBC Breakfast on Wednesday, newsreader Naga Munchetty explained why another presenter, Sean Farrington, was reading the business news.

“There she was, you know, just presenting very happily, not an issue in the world. And then she decided to have a bit of an event later on,” Munchetty said.

Co-presenter Dan Walker added: “Sally was reading our sport yesterday. Because Victoria’s partner was stuck on the M6, Sally was the birthing partner.”

Walker also tweeted:

Other colleagues also tweeted their congratulations. BBC Breakfast wrote: “Congratulations @VFritzNews! Victoria should have been our biz presenter today – but instead has some more exciting news to deliver!”