Tim Lovejoy, the host of Sunday Brunch, informed his guests that those born under the “Libra star sign” were not welcome on the Channel 4 show.
The 56-year-old presenter was only a few minutes into the programme when he started to question his celebrity guests, including Rick Astley, Mark Gatiss, Lauren Mayberry, Twinnie, and Holly Johnson, about their dietary preferences before quickly switching to star signs.
He asked each guest to disclose their zodiac sign, but when it came to singer Lauren Mayberry, he revealed an unusual show secret. When Lauren admitted: “I’m a Libra,” both Tim and his co-host Simon Rimmer expressed disappointment that a Libra had been cast.
Simon declared: “Oh no, we’re really anti Libra on this show, it destroys the balance of the show” as Tim added: “Hadn’t we said, never book a Libra?” reports the Mirror.
Lauren received support from fellow celebrity Holly Johnson, who reassured her by saying: “I’m on the show because Aquarians and Libras get along because we are air signs.”
However, Tim countered Holly’s statement, saying: “The thing I read online is that your star signs hate each other.”
But he was corrected by the singer, who said: “Oh no, that’s not ‘true’.” At this point, Tim blamed his internet search. “Maybe I was on the dodgy bit of the internet, I was on the dark web,” he confessed as his guests began to visibly cringe at his remarks.
On X, previously known as Twitter, viewers expressed their opinions with one saying: “Tim being on the dark web does not surprise me at all #sundaybrunch.”
Another viewer was critical, commenting: “I can’t stand the way Rimmer asks these questions on this, he’s annoying AF #SundayBrunch.”
A third viewer remarked: “Just have a look at the guests on that main table squirming and trying to look they’re laughing at this truly avoidable and abysmal so-called comedy based in Middlesbrough. #sundaybrunch.”
Meanwhile, another declared their intention to stop watching: “This show gets worse every time I have the misfortune of watching. Put kids programmes on again, I’d rather watch them than this utter nonsense #sundaybrunch.”
Sunday Brunch airs each week on Channel 4, on Sunday, from 9:30am