Presenter and BBC Breakfast host Dan Walker was forced to hit back at an internet troll who suggested he was having sex with one of his co-stars.
Earlier today (Wednesday, March 11), someone tweeted to Dan asking if he was “bending one” with “that bird” on the programme.
Furious, Dan tweeted back: “‘That bird’ is my friend @sallynugent and she is happily married. What a pathetic thing to tweet.
Read more: BBC Breakfast’s Dan Walker apologies to Susanna Reid after he ‘misread her intentions’
“I hope you treat that young girl in your Twitter banner photo with a bit more respect. You’ve been reported to Twitter. Have a nice day.”
In a subsequent post, Dan called out the hypocrisy of the troll’s behaviour on the micro-blogging site by pulling up an earlier tweet the user posted.
In it, he had written about the importance of “always being nice to people” in the wake of Love Island star Caroline Flack taking her own life.
Sharing a snap of the tweet, Dan said simply: “You might also want to read through your own timeline.”
After the exchange, Dan’s followers rushed to throw their support behind him.
What a pathetic thing to tweet.
One said: “What an obnoxious individual, hope he gets blocked. Sally is such a lovely person and so are you, Dan.”
Another tweeted: “Well said, Dan, and apologies from my half of the human race, Sally.”
A third wrote: “Good on yer, Dan. Our @sallynugent is one of the best. Aside from that, she has fantastic posture – very envious.”
What an abnoxious individual hope he gets blocked sally is such a lovely person and so are you dan 😊🙏
— Angel Eyes (@AngelEy02283417) March 11, 2020
Well said Dan and apologies from my half of the human race Sally
— Mark Felkin🇬🇧 (@FelkinMark) March 11, 2020
Good on yer Dan. Our @sallynugent is one of the best. Aside from that, she has fantastic posture – very envious 🤪
— Pamela Donaldson (@uncleporkie) March 11, 2020
But some thought the comment was hardly cause for someone to be reported to Twitter.
“Dan do you not understand how twitter works?” asked one. “What he said was hardly offensive.”
“Reported to Twitter?!” exclaimed another. “For that?! Maybe come off social media if stuff like that gets to you.”
Dan do you not understand how twitter works? What he said was hardly offensive.
— AdamB992 (@AdamB992) March 11, 2020
Reported to Twitter?!! For that?!! Maybe come off social media is stuff like that gets to you
— wardi (@wardi_artwork) March 11, 2020
Read more: BBC Breakfast viewers up in arms over Dan Walker gaffe
Dan’s no stranger to Twitter arguments, although in the past they have tended to involve his daytime TV rival Piers Morgan.
The pair have locked horns on Twitter on a number of occasions, as BBC Breakfast and Piers’ show, Good Morning Britain over on ITV, continue to vie for the bigger slice of the morning viewership.
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