French broadcaster Canal Plus has reported that blanks were fired from a gun by a man who was also holding something resembling a grenade.

Cannes jury members Christoph Waltz and Daniel Auteuil were being interviewed for live television show Le Grand Journal when the incident occurred.

The pair were rushed offstage and the broadcast was interrupted until police had apprehended the suspect. There were no injuries, according to reports.

The previous day, $1m in jewellery was stolen from a safe at the Novotel Hotel. It belonged to Swiss jeweller and festival sponsor Chopard, which loans jewels to celebrities for the red carpet.

However, company spokeswoman Raffaella Rossiello later insisted the value of the pieces had been exaggerated and “the jewellery stolen is not part of the collection… worn by actresses during the Cannes Film Festival”.

Festival officials said the event’s top award, the coveted Palme d’Or (also made by Chopard), was not among the stolen items.

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