A LIVE phone-in on Vanessa took an awkward turn this week when a caller allegedly pretended to be Celebrity Big Brother alum Lauren Harries — and the mix-up wasn’t spotted on air.
During Tuesday’s episode, Vanessa Feltz was joined by Anthea Turner, Theresa Cheung and Lewis Oakley for a discussion about whether children should be allowed to choose their own bedtime.
After the break, a caller identified as Lauren from Cardiff shared a bizarre story about strict childhood bedtimes and said those habits continued into adulthood.
The caller’s voice reportedly sounded similar to Harries, and the use of the word “stars” — a term Lauren Harries is known to use for fans online — added to the confusion.
But on Thursday, Harries took to X to say the caller was not her. She said someone had appeared on the show “pretending to be me” and made clear she had no involvement in the segment.
Harries also questioned how the mistake happened, noting that with a full production team on a national TV show, she would have expected better checks.
Fans reacted with surprise online, with several saying they had believed it was really Harries on the phone and calling the stunt cruel.
Harries later said she was shocked by the incident and takes her name and reputation seriously. Channel 5 has reportedly been contacted for comment.
The moment has since sparked chatter among viewers, turning an ordinary daytime debate into an unexpected bit of TV drama.