One Direction pranked by U.K. presenters

Pop stars ONE DIRECTION fell victim to a cruel prank when a British TV presenter disguised himself as a fan and pretended to have a serious asthma attack during a meet-and-greet session.

The What Makes You Beautiful hitmakers called for medics to tend to the so-called fan, only to discover the scare was in fact part of a TV gag.

Presenters Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly donned prosthetic make-up and wigs so the boys didn't recognize them for the stunt, filmed as part of U.K. TV show Saturday Night Takeaway.

The co-hosts headed to Madison Square Garden in New York to meet the band under the ruse that Donnelly was a young New Zealand fan named Jack while McPartlin was a fictitious TV host.

McPartlin tells Britain's Daily Mirror, "Dec dressed up as one (a fan) from New Zealand and I was Ben, a TV host from there. I introduced him to the group - and the meeting didn't go as planned but they fell for it."

Donnelly adds, "I faked an asthma attack. They panicked and I hyperventilated. They called medical emergencies (sic). It was such fun and they fell for it... On the 1D tour they met two fans from every nation. We heard the only two who didn't go were from New Zealand and thought, 'This is our way in.' We were all over them."

The episode of Saturday Night Takeaway will air in the U.K. on Saturday (23Mar13).