Listeners tuning into Heart Radio’s Breakfast Show got a shock Thursday morning when acting legend Dick Van Dyke was mistakenly declared dead during a live broadcast.
The awkward moment happened when Pussycat Dolls star Ashley Roberts was meant to deliver heartbreaking news about Dawson’s Creek actor James Van Der Beek — but mixed up the names in a major on-air blunder.
“Dawson’s Creek’s Dick Van Dyke has passed away,” she said live.
There was a split-second of silence before co-host Jamie Theakston quickly jumped in.
“Not Dick Van Dyke — come on,” he responded. “If you’re going to do a sensitive moment, if you’re going to do an obituary, you can’t just say Dick Van Dyke.”
Co-host Amanda Holden added bluntly: “He’s alive.”
Roberts immediately realized the error and laughed nervously. “Yes, he’s alive — he’s 100 years old!” she clarified, apologizing repeatedly for the mistake.
The radio team confirmed she had meant to refer to James Van Der Beek, whose death was announced Wednesday by his wife, Kimberly.
Van Dyke — star of classics like Mary Poppins and The Dick Van Dyke Show — remains very much alive at 100 years old.
The entertainment icon has earned six Emmy Awards, a Grammy, and a Tony Award over a career spanning nearly eight decades. He was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1993 and the Television Hall of Fame in 1995.
The mix-up quickly spread across social media, with fans expressing relief that the beloved screen legend was not, in fact, gone.
Meanwhile, James Van Der Beek’s passing at 48 has devastated fans of Dawson’s Creek and beyond.
His wife shared the emotional announcement online, revealing he passed peacefully after a private battle with colorectal cancer. He had first been diagnosed in August 2023 but made the news public in November 2024.
In recent months, Van Der Beek had auctioned memorabilia from Dawson’s Creek and Varsity Blues to help cover medical expenses. A GoFundMe launched for his family has already raised more than $200,000.
Van Der Beek leaves behind his wife Kimberly and their six children.
For Heart Radio, the moment was an unfortunate but very public reminder of how quickly a slip of the tongue can spiral during live broadcasting.
For Dick Van Dyke fans, though, there’s one important takeaway:
He’s still here — and still very much a legend.
Is he coming back as a 1928 Porter? His mother did, but preferred to live with Jerry.