Mathematician Bobby Seagull has made a bid to join Little Mix after he interrupted an appearance by the band on BBC Breakfast.

The girl group appeared via Zoom on the programme and in the middle of the interview, member Jade Thirlwall was briefly replaced by Seagull on the large screens in the studio.

Thirlwall swiftly re-appeared but after the interview, presenter Sally Nugent said: “I don’t know if any of you noticed, but for a short time there Little Mix did  have a new member.

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Little Mix is releasing music for the first time as a trio following the departure of Jesy Nelson (Yui Mok/PA)

“Did you notice that? Mr Bobby Seagull popped up at one point in the middle of Little Mix.”

Co-host Ben Thompson asked Seagull, who found fame on University Challenge in 2017 and starred in 2018 on Monkman & Seagull’s Genius Guide to Britain: “Bobby, how much would you love to be the latest member of Little Mix?”

He replied: “Bring in someone who loves numbers as well. Little Mix, I’m here!”

Seagull was appearing as the next guest on the show to discuss password security.

Little Mix has released the first single since the departure of Jesy Nelson, taking them from a four-piece to a trio.

The singer, 29, quit in December after nine years in the X Factor-formed group, saying the high-profile role had “taken a toll” on her mental health.

She has since revealed in an interview with Cosmopolitan that she reached “breaking point” and decided to leave Little Mix during the video shoot for their hit Sweet Melody, where she suffered a panic attack on set because she did not like how she looked.

Thirlwall told the programme: “There are three members now so we have had to adapt, especially when it comes to our existing music.

“It’s definitely been a weird shift but we’re getting on with it. And you know, we as a three weren’t ready to call it a day yet.

“We love doing this and being in Little Mix and this year is all about where we keep going and we enjoy the ride, and we’ve got loads of new music coming out this year so we are making the most of it.”

Bandmate Leigh-Anne Pinnock, who recently revealed she is expecting her first child with fiance Andre Gray with a series of photos on Instagram, also spoke about why it was important for her to keep her pregnancy private.

She said: “It’s such sensitive information. I wanted to be the one to tell the world and when you’re famous there are people that like to sell things and leak things.

“I just wanted to be that person to say my beautiful news and this felt like the right time to bring it out and say it.”

She said it was “really difficult” keeping the news under wraps, adding: “It’s actually quite scary. I wanted to be able to really enjoy the moment, but I was scared, and I was worried that it was going to come out and, and I wasn’t gonna be able to control that.

“It’s something that’s so sensitive and something that you want to be able to own yourself. So I’m just really happy that I got to release that imagery and it came from myself.”