How Time almost blew their Person of the Year announcement before the Today Show reveal... and it had nothing to do with Trump

The award is Time magazine's biggest secret, with staff being sworn to secrecy
The winner was supposed to be announced on the Today Show on Wednesday
But a staffer accidentally included the cover in an online gallery the night before
It was the very first slide in a 91-slide gallery of past Person of the Year covers
Only one eagle-eyed Twitter user and a Chinese TV network noticed the mistake

Published: 10:11 GMT, 8 December 2017 | Updated: 14:13 GMT, 8 December 2017

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Time's Person of the Year award was accidentally leaked on the website the night before it's big reveal - but only two people on Twitter noticed the gaffe.

The award, this year given to 'The Silence Breakers' who have outed sexual harassers and launched the #metoo movement, is the magazine's best-kept secret, with staffers being sworn to secrecy about who will be chosen and considered.

A day before Time's big reveal on the Today Show on Wednesday, a staffer accidentally included the cover in an online gallery that was supposed to only include past Person of the Year covers.

A day before Time's Person of the Year reveal on the Today Show, a staffer accidentally included the cover in an online gallery that was supposed to only include past covers

Time Editor-in-Chief Edward Felsenthal announced the Person of the Year on the Today Show on Wednesday

President Donald Trump (left) and China's President Xi Jinping (right) were second and third place for the cover respectively

It was the very first slide in a 91-slide gallery titled 'See Every Person of the Year Cover Ever', despite Time Editor-in-Chief Edward Felsenthal not yet announcing who would be given the award this year.

The magazine got lucky, however, with only one eagle-eyed Twitter user and a Chinese TV network called China Global noticing the cover before the official announcement on Wednesday, Page Six has reported.

The leak came after President Donald Trump claimed he had turned down the Person of the Year award, which he received last year.

He tweeted a week-and-a-half before the cover was revealed that Time had called and asked for a photo shoot.

Trump wrote: 'Time Magazine called to say that I was PROBABLY going to be named 'Man (Person) of the Year,' like last year, but I would have to agree to an interview and a major photo shoot. I said probably is no good and took a pass. Thanks anyway!'

The magazine responded by saying: 'The President is incorrect about how we choose Person of the Year.'

The announcement of who was given the award was made Wednesday morning on the Today show by the magazine's Editor-in-Chief Edward Felsenthal.

'This is the fastest moving social change we've seen in decades and it began with individual acts of courage by hundreds of women - and some men too - who came forward to tell their stories of sexual harassment and assault,' Felsenthal said.

The leak came after President Donald Trump claimed he had turned down the Person of the Year award, which he received last year

Tarana Burke (left), who started the #MeToo hashtag, and actress Alyssa Milano (right), who helped spread the hashtag, appeared on the Today show as part of the new issue unveiling

Trump, who himself has been accused of sexual assault, and China's President Xi Jinping were runner up and third place, respectively.

In the wake of sexual misconduct revelations about Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey and dozens of other men, millions worldwide have shared their stories about being sexually harassed and assaulted.

The movement began spontaneously in October after actress-activist Alyssa Milano followed on a suggestion from a friend of a friend on Facebook and tweeted: 'If you've been sexually harassed or assaulted write 'me too' as a reply to this tweet.'

The hashtag was tweeted nearly a million times in 48 hours. The #MeToo movement was founded by activist Tarana Burke on Twitter a decade ago to raise awareness about sexual violence.

Both Burke and Milano appeared on the Today show Wednesday morning to take part in the announcement.

The cover for the Person of the Year issued includes the likes of Taylor Swift, who testified in court about a radio DJ groping her. The issue includes Swift's first interview about the case since the trial.

Ashley Judd also graced the cover as one of the first actresses to speak out against Weinstein.