Viewers accuse Judge Jeanine Pirro of being DRUNK as she appears on her Fox News show with 'messy hair and slurred speech' after being 15 minutes late 'due to technical difficulties' (10 Pics)

Judge Jeanine Pirro was accused of being drunk by viewers Saturday night after she appeared on her Fox News show with 'messy hair and slurred speech' and was 15 minutes late 'due to technical difficulties'. 

The former district attorney from New York's Westchester County apologized for her late arrival and then seemed to have trouble articulating her point.   

Viewers were quick to point out she was 'clearly drunk' with 'hair messed up and slurred speech' in posts online.  

One wrote: 'Damn, even the people on her payroll won't tell her when she's drunk and her hair's a mess... stay safe @JudgeJeanine.'

Another added: 'Too crocked to keep her hair glued down. Wow!'

Anchor Jackie Ibanez had covered for Pirro, 68, who 'apologized for the technical difficulties' when she finally appeared on screen 15 minutes into her scheduled one hour show. 

Former district attorney Judge Jeanine Pirro, pictured Saturday, apologized for her late arrival. She then seemed to have trouble articulating her point throughout her show

Footage of her appearance was widely shared and commented on on Twitter Saturday night

She continued with a rambling piece to camera, telling viewers: 'Just the other … day the president talked, or was hoping, about the possibility of reopening everything on Easter Sunday, uh, in a way where we could kind of come out of this quarantine, as loose as it may be, that we're involved in.'

Pirro said earlier this month that the media is spreading 'doomsday reporting' about the coronavirus. There have been more than 120,000 confirmed cases in the United States and 2,164 deaths.

Footage of her appearance was widely shared on Twitter Saturday evening. 

One viewer said her 'booze-fueled meltdown' had to be 'seen to be believed'. They added: 'At one point a heavily inebriated Judge Jeanine is slowly nodding off while her guest talks.'

Another wrote: 'Boxed wine is a hell of a drug.' Another said: 'It's like every time they come back from commercial, she appears more intoxicated.'

One added: 'Beyond parody. You can actually see Jeanine Pirro putting down her drink at the top of her show tonight...which was delayed due to 'technical difficulties'.'

Some clips even appeared to show her falling asleep and putting down a glass. Another viewer joked that she was drinking under her desk during commercials. 

Political blog Palmer Report wrote: 'Tonight could be the end of Judge Jeanine Pirro.

'Fox News doesn't exactly have a lot of standards for its hosts. But showing up an entire segment late for your own show, and appearing to be severely drunk on-air, might be a bridge too far even for Fox.' 

Fox News has not commented on the claims.

Pirro did not appear on her show for three weeks in March last year after she accused House Rep. Ilhan Omar of wearing a hijab to show her adherence to Sharia law rather than the United States Constitution.

The outrage ignited by her remarks prompted the Fox News Channel to keep Pirro off the air for 21 days. 

The former district attorney from New York's Westchester County said: 'Is her adherence to this Islamic doctrine indicative of her adherence to Sharia law which in itself is antithetical to the United States Constitution?' 

Judge Jeanine Pirro, pictured in September last year, was accused of being drunk on air 

In the segment which landed Pirro in hot water, she suggested that Omar was not getting her 'anti-Israel sentiment doctrine' from the Democratic party.

She said: 'Think about this. She's not getting this anti-Israel sentiment doctrine from the Democrat party… So if it's not rooted in the party, where is she getting it from?

'Think about it. Omar wears a hijab, which according to the Quran 33:59, tells women to cover so they won't get molested.'

Fox News 'strongly' condemned the views expressed by Pirro, saying: 'They do not reflect those of the network and we have addressed the matter with her directly.'