Dara Ó Briain deletes tweet criticising Scarlett Moffatt’s podcast and urges fans not to ‘give her any grief’
Dara O’Briain has deleted a tweet criticising Scarlett Moffatt’s conspiracy theories podcast, in which he admitted his disappointment at her project being funded by the BBC after they axed Stargazing Live.
Ó Briain, 48, presented the hit astronomy show alongside Professor Brian Cox but the Beeb called time on the programme back in 2017.
Moffatt, 29, launched her BBC Sounds podcast earlier this year and episodes see the star and boyfriend Scott Dobinson discuss their thoughts on whether the moon landing was faked and the possible existence of aliens.
In a now-deleted tweet, Ó Briain wrote: “Trying not to be depressed today that while the BBC don’t want to make any more Stargazing Live, they will pay Scarlett Moffatt to make a podcast about how she doesn’t believe in the moon landings.”
However, the presenter and comedian later shared another post clarifying his thoughts on the former Gogglebox star and calling Twitter users out for sending “personal abuse” to Moffatt.
He wrote: “For the record, I’ve met Scarlett, she was a guest on Blockbusters, and she is a lovely person, so please don’t give her any grief. I’ve not tagged her in here. I just think this kind of series is a shame. You’ll get no credit from me for personal abuse, though. Ok?.”
Explaining his decision to delete the initial post, Ó Briain added: “Okay, I’ve made my point. Happy not to let it float around in perpetuity. And I don’t want to fuel grief for anyone, so I’ve deleted it. You all keep well. Oh, and we left mirrors on the moon in 1969 that we still bounce lasers off.”
Scarlett Moffatt - In pictures
Moffatt, an infrequent Twitter user, has not responded to Ó Briain’s posts.
Stargazing Live was broadcast yearly on BBC Two from 2011 to 2017. The educational programme featured experts from around the world, who urged Brits to learn more about the wonders of astronomy.
In 2019, a one-off special aired to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing.
