Phillip Schofield left in tears by Harriet the 'singing' donkey

Yet again, This Morning haven’t learned the golden TV rule “never work with children or animals” as Phillip Schofield and Rochelle Humes collapsed in giggles over a donkey that refused to sing.

Harriet the singing donkey has become an internet star, with videos of her apparently braying in tune to opera classics going viral.

But when she appeared on a live link from her home in Galway with her young owner Steven and his mum, things didn’t quite go to plan for her This Morning debut.

It started ok as Steven explained: “I found her when she was two years old by the side of the road.

“Our neighbour was walking past the field one day and filmed her singing. She was singing opera at the time.”

However, when a professional opera singer joined them to duet with Harriet, the donkey was more interested in eating from her food bucket than harmonising.

Schofield and Humes could not keep straight faces as they cried with laughter over Harriet’s silence.

Presenter Schofield said: “When we had our meeting this morning, I said then that this was exactly what was going to happen.

“This will go viral for all the wrong reasons.”

Viewers agreed that the whole segment was hilarious.

This Morning endured a hilarity-filled animal disaster once before when they invited a miniature pony into the studio, who pooed all over the carpet right in front of the sofa.

During Monday’s episode, the creature trouble wasn’t quite over for Schofield and Humes as they were challenged to taste some dried crickets by reigning Jungle Queen Georgia “Toff” Toffolo who reported on the return of I’m a Celebrity.

Schofield managed a few mouthfuls of the delicacy, but Humes gagged over just one as she complained that it smelled like dried fish food.

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