Shaquille O’Neal tries to pick-up TV host with flirty lines

Shaquille O’Neal has apologised to America after his morning TV interview with a flustered host was derailed by his overt flirtations.

Shaquille O’Neal is just as smooth as he thinks he is.

The NBA legend showed he can still leave the ladies red in the face when his live TV interview quickly turned into a flirty exchange between himself and an American TV star.

Appearing on E News’ Daily Pop show to promote a new line of high-end men’s suits designed for plus-sized gentlemen, the 47-year-old was asked to show off his best modelling looks for the cameras.

His pouting stares, eyebrow raises and “call me” signals to guest co-host Rocsi Diaz had the entire studio red in the face as the woman herself giggled and buried her head in her hands.

“I’m lost,” Diaz said as the NBA legend was asked to show off a few other moves on the couch.

When Diaz described one of his looks as “sad and pouty” the 2.16m giant took his shot flirting with the host sitting opposite him.

Shaquille O'Neal does not die wondering.

“I could never be sad and pouty with you sitting there,” he said.

“She’s always in my DM’s I just wanted you to know that.”

An exasperated Diaz responded: “Oh my god, let’s tell the truth”.

A clearly pot-stirring Shaq then responded: “I can’t tell you some of the things she says.

“You know what she says? She says, ‘Even though I’m Spanish, you know I like that chocolate’. For real.

“And I tell her, ‘Once you go Shaq, you never go back’.”

Shaq was shooting his shot on E News.

He even said she had been sending him “sultry” photos on direct messages.

A flustered Diaz then asked Shaq to “tell the truth” about their Instagram exchanges.

She said she tracked Shaq down on Instagram to tell him she would be interviewing him on TV that week — and was asking for the Basketball Hall of Famer to make her look good on TV.

An ice-cool Shaq said she never mentioned their upcoming TV interview and then subtly suggested the guest host owed him a date for the betrayal.

As only Shaq could do, Diaz was even offering to pay for the date towards the end of the interview, despite saying her interviewee was “full of it”.

With love clearly blossoming on set, the E host tried to get the interview back in order with some quickfire questions — but Shaq was having none of it.

When asked what is the first thing he does when he wakes up, the Lakers champion said he would gently speak to whichever woman was sharing his bed.

“I say, ‘Hey, you alright,’” Shaq quipped before bursting into laughter.

“No the first thing I do is say, ‘How’re you doing? Who are you interviewing today? Oh, you’re interviewing me? Alright, I’ll be right behind you’.

“I’m just playing America, I’m just playing.”

There’s no word yet on whether Diaz actually has any interest on sharing a meal with the loveable rascal.