“Breakfast Show” co-host Ashley Roberts rushed to apologize after mistakenly reporting that Dick Van Dyke died on Wednesday — mixing the iconic, 100-year-old “Mary Poppins” actor with “Dawson’s Creek” star, James Van Der Beek.
“Oh, I do have some sad news though, ‘Dawson’s Creek’ — Dick Van Dyke has passed away,” Roberts said on Thursday, mixing up the two stars’ names.
That’s when her co-hosts jumped in to teasingly correct her.
“Not Dick Van Dyke,” Jamie Theakston said. “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 … Unbelievably, he’s very much still with us.”
“Yes, [he’s alive] – he’s 100 years old!” Roberts said as she quickly apologized for the error.
“Oh my gosh, we spoke about this, I’m so sorry,” Roberts said.
On Wednesday, Van Der Beek, the ’90s TV icon best known for starring as Dawson Leery on The WB’s “Dawson’s Creek,” died at age 48 after a two-year battle with cancer.
The much-admired actor’s wife Kimberly shared the news on Instagram on Wednesday.
“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,” she wrote. “For now we ask for peaceful privacy as we grieve our loving husband, father, son, brother, and friend.”
Van Der Beek had publicly been battling colorectal cancer since November 2024 following his initial diagnosis in August 2023. He is survived by his wife and six children: Olivia, Joshua, Annabel, Emilia, Gwendolyn and Jeremiah.
