The 8 most memorable celebrity TV walk-offs
Joe Lycett's storm off on Steph McGovern's Channel 4 show made headlines this week and for good reason - although it did transpire to not be quite what it seemed.
While we are used to seeing celebrities behave affably in public, that isn't always the case when another party is out to ask some difficult questions or make uncomfortable observations.
These moments inevitably end up going viral just because of how unusual they seem when people are so often on their best behaviour in front of a camera.
Read more: The biggest celebrity outbursts caught on tape
Here are eight examples of some of the most famous television walk-offs, from Piers Morgan to Preston from The Ordinary Boys.
Joe Lycett on Steph's Packed Lunch (2021)
The comedian didn't seem to like it when Steph McGovern questioned whether he practised what he preached when it came to being considerate of the environment.
He told the presenter on her Channel 4 show that he'd stopped bringing single-use plastic into his home, but when the show flashed up a picture of Lycett in his garden McGovern spotted a plastic bottle.
“Isn’t that one of the bottles you said you’d stopped using, in that picture?” she asked, with Lycett replying: "I didn’t realise I was on Newsnight, Steph.”
He was then seen removing his microphone and walking off set with McGovern telling viewers after the break that he'd "had to leave".
However, the animosity wasn't quite what it seemed as he later confirmed it had been a set-up - not surprising considering his history with pranks.
Lycett said it was a staged as a plan to challenge drinks brand Yop on their use of white PET plastic.
"I risked my reputation as a jolly, affable and very-much-available chat show guest to say this as loud as I can: Yop, it’s time to stop using white PET plastic," he wrote in a social media post.
Preston on Never Mind The Buzzcocks (2007)
One of the most infamous examples of the genre is Ordinary Boys singer Preston dramatically walking off of Never Mind the Buzzcocks.
He was a guest on the programme which was at that time presented by talented wind-up merchant Simon Amstell, who would often rib the celebrities that appeared.
Preston became visibly unimpressed when Amstell began reading extracts from the autobiography of his wife Chantelle Houghton, whom he had married after a whirlwind romance in the Celebrity Big Brother house.
"'The photoshoot was for the Daily Mail, which made me feel really posh and upmarket'," Amstell mockingly read aloud, prompting Preston to get out of his seat and announce he was "going home".
Panellist Bill Bailey then plucked out the audience member with the most resemblance to Preston to fill his spot.
Preston and Houghton split later that year, with the musician going on to say he regretted his walk-off.
Kim Woodburn on Loose Women (2018)
Back in 2018, Loose Women thought it would be a good idea to stage a mediation between panellist Coleen Nolan and Kim Woodburn who had locked horns while both appearing on Celebrity Big Brother the previous year.
However, things quickly went downhill as Woodburn reflected on her experience in the house and alleged she had been bullied.
A tearful Woodburn then reflected on her "brutal" childhood, saying it was why she hadn't coped well in the house while Nolan and her sister Linda made dismissive remarks.
“I’ll never forget what the likes of her and others put me through,” Woodburn said. "Never, it was bloody cruel."
"I wouldn't want to sit and talk like lying trash like you," she said as she made her way out of her seat, continuing to argue with the show's panellists before the programme cut to a break.
ITV said at the time it was reconciliation that "didn't go to plan". A statement read: “We invited Kim on the show to reconcile with Coleen and put their differences behind them. But it didn’t go to plan.
“After 18 months, we were hoping the two women would let bygones be bygones. But it wasn’t to be.”
The incident prompted over 3,000 complaints to Ofcom.
Nolan subsequently took a break from the programme for several months following a backlash as she described the fall-out as the "worst week of [her] life".
Piers Morgan on Good Morning Britain (2021)
In what would be Piers Morgan's final day presenting Good Morning Britain, he flounced off the show's set after being criticised by colleague Alex Beresford.
Morgan had made several derogatory remarks about Meghan Markle in the wake of her and Prince Harry's interview with Oprah Winfrey, in which the Duchess had claimed she had experienced suicidal thoughts while acting as a working royal.
The journalist had said he didn't "believe a word she says" with his comments attracting a record number of complaints to Ofcom.
On GMB, Beresford brought up Morgan's repeated claims that Markle "dropped him" as a friend after becoming involved with the Duke. He said: "She’s entitled to cut you off if she wants to … yet you continue to trash her.”
He went on: “I understand that you don’t like Meghan Markle, you’ve made it so clear a number of times on this programme, and I understand you’ve got a personal relationship with Meghan Markle and she cut you off. She’s entitled to cut you off if she wants to. Has she said anything about you since she cut you off? I don’t think she has but yet you continue to trash her …”
A disgruntled Morgan then stormed out of the studio, stating he was "done with this". Beresford in turn described him as "pathetic".
Morgan returned after 10 minutes but later that day it was announced he had decided to leave the programme after discussions with ITV.
Patsy Palmer on Good Morning Britain (2021)
Just weeks after Pier Morgan's GMB exit, Patsy Palmer also walked off the programme - albeit virtually.
The former EastEnders actor was appearing via video link from her home in California to chat with Susanna Reid and Ben Shephard but didn't like what she was being billed as when she clocked it on screen.
Seeing that the show had described her as going from an "addict to wellness guru", Palmer declared: "You know what, actually, I don't even want to do this interview because I don't even want to look at what it says at the bottom of that screen.
"So, I'm just going to switch off and do a real Piers Morgan and just say, it's not OK to have 'from addict to wellness guru' on the bottom of the screen."
Palmer added her addiction issues had been talked about by her "many, many year ago" and that it was now "over".
The hosts apologised but it was too late as Palmer shut off her laptop and ended the interview.
She went on to write in a since-deleted Instagram post that she "couldn't be more opposed to that headline".
Bee Gees on Clive Anderson All Talk (1997)
Clive Anderson's jokes didn't land with the Bee Gees when they appeared as guests on his chat show in the 90s.
The host made jests about some of their most famous songs and also quipped about their original name of 'Les Tosseurs'. "You'll always be tossers to me," Anderson remarked.
Barry Gibb certainly didn't see the funny side of things as he grew increasingly more tense. He noted: "We're getting on like a storm aren't we Clive? In fact, I might just leave."
He did in fact get up and walk off with his brothers following him out of the studio. Anderson continued to chuckle nervously while Barry declared: "You're the tosser, pal."
Realising they had no intention of coming back, Anderson awkwardly brought the show to an end.
In a chat with the Express last year Anderson said the interview had gone from the "best to the worst in a few minutes" and that he thought he "got the pitch of that wrong".
Robert Downey Jr on Channel 4 (2015)
Serial interviewee upsetter Krishnan Guru-Murthy got under Robert Downey Jr's skin when the actor was promoting Avengers: Age of Ultron.
The Channel 4 News presenter asked the A-Lister about an interview he gave in 2008 where he had said: "You can’t go from a $2,000-a-night suite at La Mirage to a penitentiary and really understand it and come out a liberal.”
Downey Jr said he couldn't remember what he had meant by the remark, but Guru-Murthy pushed him on the answer.
“Are we promoting a movie?” The Iron Man star questioned before adding that "happened to be [his] opinion" on the day but that opinions can "change and flow".
Guru-Murthy added to the tension as he declared his intention to ask further personal questions, at which point the actor said: “You have as much time as anyone else will.”
“Your foot’s starting to jump – you’d better get to your next question," he added to a fumbling Guru-Murthy.
But as he pressed him on the topic of his relationship with his father and his former addiction issues, Downey Jr said: “I’m sorry, I really don’t … what are we doing?”
Guru-Murthy said he was "just asking questions" before Downey Jr quickly had his mic removed and left the room.
Reflecting on the incident with US radio host Howard Stern, Downey Jr said: "I just wish I’d left sooner."
Naomi Campbell on ABC News (2010)
Naomi Campbell stormed out of an interview after being quizzed over receiving blood diamonds from Liberian dictator Charles Taylor.
"I didn't receive a diamond and I'm not going to speak about that, thank you very much and I'm not here for that," she told an ABC News reporter.
Pressed on whether she had dinner with Taylor, Campbell said she'd dined with Nelson Mandela but the journalist persisted.
The supermodel looked to her representation who then began answering for her.
Abruptly bringing the interview to a close, Campbell said: "Thank you so much, goodbye."
But for good measure on her way out she pushed a camera out of the hands of an ABC News producer.
