Spanish news anchor caught cheating during live video call

Spanish news anchor Alfonso Merlos is probably wishing he had kids, or a pet, something, anything to walk through the back of his live video calls, hilariously interrupting him and endearing him to thousands of new followers.

Instead, the TV host is in scorching hot water after seemingly cheating on his high-profile girlfriend, Big Brother Spain star Marta López.

Merlos was appearing live on Spanish YouTube channel Estado de Alarma when a semi-naked woman walked into his background. The reporter didn't seem to notice and continued the cross.

Merlos had been dating López and it was clear that he woman wasn't her.

Instead, viewers identified the other woman as Merlos' fellow journalist Alexia Rivas, according to 20 Minutos.

At first, Merlos tried to maintain a dignified silence before being forced to address the growing scandal.

He appeared on The Ana Rosa show to explain the incident, issuing a semi-apology.

"If you think that my attitude has not been correct or that there are things that I have not done well, I have no problem asking for forgiveness, although my goal was not to harm someone else," he said on the show.

However following the apology, he claimed he and Lopez were no longer together and instead he was in a new relationship with Rivas.

Lopez disputed this, saying they were together at the time, calling her former boyfriend's behaviour "unpleasant" and "shameful".

Rivas was also forced to address the scandal following her ill-timed appearance on the video call, telling Socialite, "I didn't get into a relationship, he told me he was single. We have been [seeing each other] three weeks."