Rick Astley feared he'd have to 'walk off live TV' after coughing fit

Rick Astleyhas opened up about his coughing episode on The One Show, confessing he feared he might have to "walk off" during the live broadcast.

The 80s icon left viewers concerned when he began choking and spluttering whilst being interviewed on the BBC programme on Friday (September 5), with fellow musician Ronan Keating rushing to his aid by patting his back.

The incident was discussed during Rick's appearance on BBC Breakfast on Monday (September 8), reports the Express. Presenter Jon Kay joked, "Rick joins us, and you've got some water, because you had a bit of a cough, didn't you, on The One Show?"

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"Yeah, I did indeed," Rick replied. "So exciting to be about to cough your head off on live TV, sat next to Ronan Keating!"

"We do it all the time, so for people who didn't see it, what happened?" presenter Sally Nugent asked.

The performer revealed: "The show had started and they had done a shot where the two of us are on the couch, so Ronan's being interviewed and chatting, and I know Ronan a bit, he's lovely, he's great.

"And then I just started to feel I had a tickle, and then, so I'm trying to suppress it, you know, having some water and stuff, and I'm clutching my knees, and I'm thinking, I'm about to walk off live television, even though they've just introduced me as being on the couch! But we're all good this morning. I hope so!"

"I don't know what it was; it was just a tickle," he continued.

The star went on: "I've only cancelled one gig in the whole of my life, and that was because of food poisoning, nothing to do with singing."

"So, yeah, so hopefully we're good."

Jon suggested that even if the singer ever encountered a problem with his voice, the "show must go on".

"Yeah, but also I think adrenaline kicks in," Rick responded. "The amount of times that I've not been fully match fit, let's say, a bit of a cold or something, but I think your adrenaline just takes over. The excitement of doing it still feels like the most exciting thing in the world to me."

"Well, we've got Ronan on standby, just in case you need it," Jon joked, causing Rick to chuckle.

Rick, 59, also opened up about how taking a hiatus from his career had made him appreciate it more.

"I've kind of got away from how kind of ridiculous it is and how full of nonsense it is to just view it as a purely beautiful, lovely thing to do," he shared. "I don't really ever get wrapped up in the fame side of it, all the this, that, and the other."

The star admitted that he was "not really famous" most of the time, as he could visit places like the supermarket without being recognised.

"And that's amazing because I can go and play an arena and then literally be going on the way home or on the way to the hotel and be completely ignored by people," he added. "Even sometimes the same people who are in the arena."

BBC Breakfast is broadcast daily at 6am on BBC One.