Weekend Today’s Lauren Phillips SCREAMS during live weather cross

Weekend Today’s Lauren Phillips got the fright of her life during a live weather cross on Sunday morning’s program.

Reporting from the lion encounter at Werribee Open Range Zoo, south-west of Melbourne, the 32-year-old screamed when a lion pounced during feeding time.

After regaining her composure, Lauren told the show’s co-hosts Richard Wilkins and Rebecca Maddern that she underestimated their speed.  

During the segment, Lauren sat in an African sahari vehicle, with a glass shield protecting her from the lion encounter.  

As the weather forecast for the country was shown on screen, the brunette beauty could be heard screaming in the background.   

The camera quickly panned back to Lauren, who placed her hand over her mouth in utter shock, as a lion pounced onto the top of the car, chewing on chunks of meat.  

‘I don’t know if we were on camera then, but that absolutely scared the life out of me,’ Lauren told Richard and Rebecca.   

The Channel Nine star went on to admit that while she was warned the lions ‘were going to get up here’, she wasn’t expecting them to ‘be that fast’.   

‘You can get up close and personal with the lions. I’m very happy this is very thick glass here, right now guys,’ Lauren added with a laugh. 

Lauren has quickly become one of Australia’s most popular television presenters.

She previously starred on Channel Nine’s travel show Postcards, and has also added brand ambassador to her resume. 

Lauren has also made headlines for her love life, calling time on her marriage to longtime boyfriend Lachlan Spark in December 2018, after one year.