As a TV host, I can imagine the pressure to be on your best behaviour at all times is pretty high.
With hundreds of thousands of viewers watching you every day, it’s easy to assume that you would want to do anything in your power to remain strictly professional.
But it appears Fox News‘ Pete Hegseth has no qualms letting his viewers know about his somewhat questionable habits, as he confessed on air that he hasn’t washed his hands for about 10 years. Shudder.
The totally unexpected confession came yesterday morning (February 10) when Hegseth began to speak about his New Year’s resolution, which is to say things on-air that he would off-air.
The TV host announced, totally unprompted:
My 2019 resolution is to say things on-air that I say off-air. I don’t think I’ve washed my hands for 10 years.
As his colleagues began to laugh and co-host Jedediah Bila said, ‘someone help me’, Hegseth rubbed his hands together while reaffirming his stance.
The 38-year-old then stated that he ‘inoculates’ himself and implied that he doesn’t get sick because he’s immune to everything.
Hegseth went on to say:
It’s just not – germs are not a real thing. I can’t see them therefore they’re not real. I can’t get sick.
Which, y’know, is concerning to say the least. You really shouldn’t need the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to tell you people not washing their hands results in the spread of disease and infection to others.
Failure to wash hands contributes to the spread so much that hand washing could protect almost one out of five young children who get sick with respiratory infections like pneumonia.
Inevitably, following the attention received, Hegseth tried to save face and told the media to ‘loosen up and have some fun’ because his health is ‘doing well’.
Hegseth wrote:
To paraphrase the President from an hour ago:
The Media is so self righteous and ANGRY! Loosen up and have some fun. The Country is doing well (as is my health!)
P.S. I also support drinking from garden hoses & riding bikes w/o a helmet. Cue outrage…
I mean, if being disgusted at someone not washing their hands for a decade is self-righteous and angry, sign me up I guess.
Hegseth has since come out and stated that he was joking, retweeting others who have said people simply don’t get his humour.
Regardless of whether it was a joke or not though, people are still disgusted by the thought of it and referred to the TV host as ‘nasty’ and ‘beyond gross’.
Well, I don’t know about you guys but I’ve got an appointment with my bathroom sink right about now. See ya.
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A Broadcast Journalism Masters graduate who went on to achieve an NCTJ level 3 Diploma in Journalism, Lucy has done stints at ITV, BBC Inside Out and Key 103. While working as a journalist for UNILAD, Lucy has reported on breaking news stories while also writing features about mental health, cervical screening awareness, and Little Mix (who she is unapologetically obsessed with).