It was a case of “the show must go on” when the hosts of Network Ten’s panel show The Project were left with nothing to show their live studio audience due to technical difficulties.

Midway through the show, host Waleed Aly admitted the show was facing “massive technical difficulties”.

Co-host Carrie Bickmore was more explicit, admitting: “We have nothing to play to air for the next half hour of the show”.

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Rather than fall in a heap, Bickmore, Aly and fellow hosts Peter Helliar and Ryan “Fitzy” Fitzgerald decided to make their own entertainment.

While Bickmore read the news items for the evening, her co-hosts helpfully acted them out.

The show must go on! As technical difficulties take hold the panel act out the news… #TheProjectTV https://t.co/IrPC0bLNhD

— #TheProjectTV (@theprojecttv) March 31, 2016

Viewers were accepting of the show’s shortcomings, with some even admitting they preferred the improvised version.

“Put this segment on mute and you have a live version of charades,” one Twitter user joked.

“Well done #TheProjectTV When a ghost appears in the machine it can be a wild ride,” another said.

As for what caused the technical glitch, the show’s executive producer told News.com.au it was a fault in the edit suite.

“A switch that connects the edit suite to the control room malfunctioned so we couldn’t get our packaged material to air,” Craig Campbell said in a statement.

“We were fortunate to have four amazing performers on the desk to get through it and make it entertaining.”