Ashley Roberts makes an epic on-air blunder as she accidentally announces Dick Van Dyke is dead weeks after his 100th birthday

Ashley Roberts made an epic on-air blunder when she accidentally announced Dick Van Dyke was dead weeks after his 100th birthday.  

During an entertainment news update on Heart FM, live on Thursday, Ashley, 44, got her names mixed up while sharing 'sad news' with hosts Amanda Holden, 54, and Jamie Theakston, 55.

She said: 'Dawson's Creek's Dick Van Dyke has passed away,' meaning Dawson's Creek star James Van Der Beek, who died on Wednesday aged 48 folliowing a battle with colon cancer.  

Co-host Jamie jumped in to correct her quickly.

He said: 'Not Dick Van Dyke - come on. 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.

Amanda added: 'He's alive', as Ashley giggled at her own mistake, awkwardly. 

Correcting herself, she conformed: 'Yes, [he's alive] - he's 100 years old!.' Oh my gosh, we spoke about this, I'm so sorry.'

Jamie added: 'Unbelievably, he's very much still alive.'

Ashley had been out the night before celebrating the BAFTA EE Rising Star at La Môme London at the Berkeley hotel in London so perhaps she had a late night. 

Mary Poppins star Dick celebrated his 100th birthday on December 13, marking the milestone with a quiet celebration at home in Malibu with his wife, Arlene Silver.

Actor James, who endured a public two-year battle with colorectal cancer, died on Wednesday and his loved ones announced his passing on Instagram. 

The post read: 'Our beloved James David Van Der Beek passed peacefully this morning. He met his final days with courage, faith, and grace. 

'There is much to share regarding his wishes, love for humanity and the sacredness of time. Those days will come. For now we ask for peaceful privacy as we grieve our loving husband, father, son, brother, and friend.'

James is survived by his wife, Kimberly, and their six children. 

The actor and his wife share daughters Olivia, 15, Annabel, 12, Emilia, nine, and Gwendolyn, seven, as well as sons Joshua, 13, and Jeremiah, four. 

A GoFundMe page was launched to help support Van Der Beek's family with $500,000 as a starting ask and the total amount raised has now reached $1.2million.

His wife Kimberly wrote on her Insta Stories: 'My friends created this link to support me and our children during this time. With gratitude and a broken heart.'

It was added on the page, 'Your generosity will help cover essential living expenses, pay bills, and support the children's education.' More than $100,000 was raised within an hour of news of the star's passing.

Soon after Van Der Beek's Dawson's Creek co-star Busy Philipps shared on Instagram: 'My heart is deeply hurting for all of us today…every person who knew James and loved him, anyone who loved his work or had the pleasure of meeting him, all of his dear friends and community that surrounded him as he battled this illness, especially his parents and brother and sister. 

'But I am profoundly heartbroken for his incredible wife Kimberly and their six magical children. There is a go fund me for them to help out and i’ll put the link in my stories. James Van Der Beek was one in a billion and he will be forever missed and i don’t know what else to say. i am just so so sad. He was my friend and i loved him and i’m so grateful for our friendship all these years.❤️.'