Russell Howard has spoken of his disbelief after receiving a deluge of attention for sipping cider on Lorraine.
The Bristol-born comedian posted a video on his Instagram page yesterday (April 21), responding to the scrutiny which followed the live interview on Friday, April 17.
While speaking live from his parents' home in Bath, where he has temporarily moved in, some viewers spotted him swigging from a Thatchers can at 9.15am.
In an Instagram post which has been viewed more than 80,000 times, he said: "It went mental - it was trending on Twitter."
He questioned one tabloid headline that described viewers as being "shocked" by his choice of morning refreshment.
"Were they shocked? Were they really shocked?", he asked, pulling up various viewers' tweets to the contrary.
On a more serious note, he said: "People are shocked that NHS staff are being told to wear aprons, as protective gowns have run out.
"But a comedian sat in his house, having fun juice for breakfast? Not only did nobody give a ****, they wanted me to get knighted!
"Me drinking cider on Lorraine isn’t shocking, the treatment of NHS staff is shocking."
In an earlier Instagram post, he had explained: "For all the people wondering why I was knocking back cider on breakfast TV.
"It was my meant to be my brothers stag do today so I was dared into it. I couldn’t let him down!"
During the Lorraine interview the comedian spoke of his pride about his wife Cerys Morgan, an NHS doctor who stopped her career break short to help on the coronavirus frontline.
The comedian himself has been keeping people entertained during lockdown with his new YouTube show Russell Howard's Home Time, during which he chats to key workers and celebrities via video calls.
