Debbie McGee has poked fun at herself after confusing Professor Stephen Hawking and Albert Einstein.
The Strictly Come Dancing star, 59, was discussing the death of Professor Hawking, 76, on The Wright Stuff when she confused the two eminent scientists.
After Matthew Wright mentioned Professor Hawking had sold millions of books, Debbie said: “His book, The Theory of Relativity, wasn’t it?”
Matthew corrected her: “I think it was Einstein who wrote The Theory of Relativity!”
She laughed in response: “Oh, yes, sorry! I had a blonde moment! I have lots of blonde moments!”
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Matthew quipped: “You put down The Theory of Relativity, you pick up A Brief History of Time. These things happen. We all make mistakes.”
Debbie laughed: “Oh dear. You will invite me back when I’m not blonde, won’t you?!”
Hollywood actor Eddie Redmayne is among the celebs who have led the tributes to Professor Hawking, describing him as “the funniest man” he has ever met.
The actor, who won an Oscar for his portrayal of Prof Hawking in 2014 film The Theory Of Everything, said in a statement: “We have lost a truly beautiful mind, an astonishing scientist and the funniest man I have ever had the pleasure to meet.
“My love and thoughts are with his extraordinary family.”
Prime Minister Theresa May was among others paying tribute to Prof Hawking.
She said: “Professor Stephen Hawking was a brilliant and extraordinary mind – one of the great scientists of his generation.
“His courage, humour and determination to get the most from life was an inspiration. His legacy will not be forgotten.”
Professor Stephen Hawking was a brilliant and extraordinary mind – one of the great scientists of his generation. His courage, humour and determination to get the most from life was an inspiration. His legacy will not be forgotten.
— Theresa May (@theresa_may) March 14, 2018
Scientist and broadcaster Professor Brian Cox told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that Prof Hawking was “one of the greats”.
“There are many good theoretical physicists who make a big contribution, but there aren’t that many greats,” he added.
“And by that I mean that I think there are physicists in a thousand years’ time, they will still be talking about Hawking radiation, they will be using his fundamental results on black holes.
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“Actually, the last time I saw him at his 75th birthday party, he was talking about the new gravitational wave experiment where we’ve seen the collisions of black holes, and speculating that those results might be able to prove some of his theorems once and for all.
“Plus his contributions to the physics of the very early universe, so there are at least three and possibly more areas where his work will be remembered as long as there are cosmologists and that’s the best you can hope for as a scientist.”
Actress and neuroscientist Mayim Bialik, who met and worked with Prof Hawking when he appeared on US sitcom The Big Bang Theory, tweeted: “As we near Pi day (3.14) I join the global community in mourning the loss of the greatest physicist of our era.”
Along with a picture of Prof Hawking with the cast of the programme, she added: “#StephenHawking is free from the physical constraints of this earthly condition we all exist in and he is soaring above us now marvelling at it all.”
The Big Bang Theory’s Johnny Galecki wrote on Instagram: “RIP #stephenhawking Not only your brilliance, but your sense of humour will be sorely missed by all.”
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