The Chase's Anne Hegerty has sparked a flurry of outrage after making 'stupid and terribly misinformed' comments on the murder of American right-wing activist Charlie Kirk.
The conservative commentator, 31, died on September 10 after being shot in the neck at an event at Utah Valley University.
Tyler Robinson, a 22-year-old student, has since been charged with the murder, and made his first court appearance via Zoom on Wednesday in relation to the case.
Quizmaster Anne, the inimitable 'Governess' on the hit ITV game show, later weighed in with her personal thoughts, and has even engaged in fiery debate with angry commenters.
She told her 148,000 followers: 'I had never heard of Charlie Kirk before Wednesday night.
'Had we met, my end of the conversation would have been "You just said WHAT?" and "Scuse me, those are my FRIENDS you're talking about."'
The Chase's Anne Hegerty (pictured) has sparked a flurry of outrage after making 'stupid and terribly misinformed' comments on the murder of American right-wing activist Charlie Kirk
The conservative commentator (pictured) died on September 10 after being shot in the neck at an event at Utah Valley University
But commenters were furious at what they deemed 'misinformed' comments by the TV personality.
One wrote: 'Anne, look at his debates before making assumptions - P.S. your head is big.'
The Chaser responded: 'I know, it always has been. In the jungle, I had the second largest hat size.'
Another person wrote: 'You've never heard of him yet you make stupid assumptions.'
They added: 'There's nothing he says that is controversial if you actually take time to listen.'
This time, Anne replied: 'You know, Americans, this kind of hair-trigger angriness and sensitivity and telling people to stop talking is exactly why you get people doing this sort of thing in the first place. Why not try taking the temperature down a bit?'
Elsewhere in the comments, the 67-year-old emphasised that she 'believes in free speech.'
The conservative firebrand, 31, was speaking to students when someone opened fire at the school on Wednesday
Kirk leaves behind his wife Erika Frantzve, with whom he had a three-year-old daughter and a son, 16 months
But responders were united in their outrage, with one writing: 'If you've never heard of him before Wednesday, you probably should just sit this one out.'
Another added: 'This is a terribly misinformed post and you should really take it down.'
'Bad take, Anne,' one person wrote. 'He was a humble, polite debater who only wanted to open people's minds.'
Another chimed in: 'I wish there was a downvote button. This is a bad and distasteful tweet.'
The father-of-two, known for his fierce MAGA views and combative debates with college kids across the country, collapsed immediately after being hit in the neck by a single shot from about 200 yards.
Kirk was answering a question about mass shootings mere seconds before he was struck. He was rushed to hospital in a critical condition, but was declared dead two-and-half hours later.
Tyler Robinson, the suspect in Kirk’s murder, made his first court appearance on Wednesday after allegedly shooting and killing the conservative activist in Utah last week.
Robinson appeared disheveled and expressionless as the judge read out the charges against him. He wore a suicide vest and spoke only to confirm his details during the hearing.
Commenters were furious at what they deemed 'misinformed' comments by the TV personality
Prosecutors filed capital murder charges against Robinson for the murder of Charlie Kirk on Tuesday afternoon.
He has been held without bail since his arrest, and it remained unclear whether he has an attorney.
Authorities say Robinson held a 'leftist ideology' and may have been 'radicalised' online before he was arrested for killing the MAGA influencer.
Kirk was the co-founder of Turning Point USA and is credited with energising the Republican youth movement and helping President Donald Trump win back the White House in 2024.
