A viral video captures the moment WABI TV5 meteorologist Patrick Osborn lost his composure on air, erupting into a fit of laughter that rendered him unable to deliver the weather report. The incident occurred during Sunday morning's broadcast in Bangor, Maine.
Osborn began the segment by acknowledging an unfolding situation off-camera, stating, "Sorry, we're having a bit of a scene off-screen." He attempted to proceed with the forecast, discussing cloudier conditions and potential showers, but his voice was already tinged with amusement. As he described bands of storms, the laughter intensified, leading him to interject with "we got to finish up this weather right [laughter] now" and "I'm so sorry. I'm losing my mind over here."
Despite efforts to regain control, Osborn's voice began to squeak, and he announced, "I think I need to go off-screen." He continued to struggle through parts of the report, noting dew points and temperatures in the "70s and low 80s" for inland areas, all while audibly giggling and wheezing. "This is what rainfall is like, but let's just throw it to the 70s. Oh my gosh," he managed between fits of laughter.
Ultimately, Osborn had to hand over the broadcast to anchor Josh Gabbard, who joined in the amusement, quipping, "Whatever happened to professionalism, Patrick? Thanks, buddy."
Explanation of the On-Air Meltdown
The following day, Osborn explained the cause of his on-air breakdown during a segment with anchor Brian Sullivan. He revealed that the incident stemmed from an attempted prank on Gabbard that inadvertently backfired. A producer played the "Charlie Brown wa-wa-wa-wa-wa-wa" sound effect from a compilation video on a phone. Osborn had intended to use a short clip, but it turned out to be a much longer compilation that repeated the sound periodically.
"It was actually something that I was trying to prank Josh on that kind of backfired," Osborn explained. The sound first played about 20 seconds into his Sunday forecast, catching him off guard. The situation escalated when the sound played again after Gabbard had returned to the studio.
The footage of Osborn's laughing fit has since gained significant traction online, with a re-share on X (formerly Twitter) receiving over one million views. WABI TV5 also shared both clips on its official Facebook page, and the video is available in the Video On Demand section of the station's website.