A UK breakfast TV host has been slammed by viewers after making “creepy” comments about singer Olivia Newton-John just hours after news of her death broke.
Good Morning Britain host Richard Madeley paid tribute to the 73-year-old Grease star but copped a lashing from Brits over his choice of anecdote.
Madeley referenced an iconic 1970s modeling picture of Newton-John that had been shared in countless tributes following her death, including by her Grease co-star John Travolta.
“I wish I’d met her, I wish I’d interviewed her. It never happened, I always regretted it actually as years went by,” Madeley said.
“That publicity picture… the one of her in the denim shirt. It was a very famous poster of her by her in the 1970s. ”
And he went on to confess many of his former colleagues had a schoolboy crush on the star.
“That poster was on the wall of a radio station I used to work in back in the 70s and I’m not exaggerating, it basically stopped traffic in the corridor,” he said.
“It was up there for months! The guys would just stop and look at it.”
Insulting, inappropriate and very, very creepy.
Viewers were less than impressed by his comments, which came as many Brits learned the news of Newton-John’s death, following a cancer battle, aged 73.
“Richard Madeley’s weird angle on the loss of Olivia Newton-John today on (Good Morning Britain) was uncomfortable to watch,” one Twitter user wrote.
“Just kept on the line of how attractive she was & if she acknowledged how beautiful she was & how her colleagues would stare at her poster.”
One viewer described the comments as: “Insulting, inappropriate and very, very creepy.”
Some even called for Madeley to lose his job over the remarks.
“This creep needs to be fired,” one furious viewer wrote.
TV veteran Madeley, who is known for his cringeworthy live TV moments, is widely thought to have been the inspiration for comedian Steve Coogan’s show Alan Partridge.
Coogan has previously admitted Partridge’s character is similar to the host.
Last week, Madeley was in viewers’ crosshairs again for an awkward comment about England Lionesses soccer player Chloe Kelly.
While discussing her team’s Euro 2022 win, Madeley got a little too familiar with the player, referring to her as “Coco”, admitting he uses the same nickname for his daughter, who is also named Chloe.
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