Chris Evans has laughed off claims he ignored Simon Amstell when he attempted to shake his hand during a live television broadcast. However, the 52-year-old radio presenter admitted it may have looked like he blanked the comic because he was focused on fronting the programme, but he did not. Speaking on the Virgin Radio Breakfast Show, Simon recalled the awkward encounter between the two of them, which was caught on camera. “There’s a terrible, very embarrassing clip on YouTube of me going to shake your hand and you ignore me,” the British comedian recounted.
“I did not ignore you… I suppose you could interpret it as ignoring you but I didn’t do it on purpose,” the radio DJ explained.
“I really didn’t do it on purpose I had a TV show to do and it was live.”
Making light of the situation, 39-year-old Simon agreed with the TV star, accepting his notion he did not deliberately snub his handshake.
Continuing to defend his actions, Chris added: “‘You’re like why didn’t he shake my hand,’ cause I was thinking about what my first line was on the show.
“And what band were on and whether Kylie Minogue was in a good mood or not. I don’t know what I was thinking about.”
Intercepting, the comedian and actor quipped: “I was just happy to be there,” to which, the father-of-five exclaimed: “But look where you are now.”
The pair’s hilarious on-air exchange comes after the former BBC Radio 2 host revealed presenters at his former place of work would drink on the job.
A few would drink excessively to the point where they became “too relaxed” and in some cases were unable to continue with the show.
The TV star said a drinks trolley would go around the broadcasting studio and stewards would offer alcoholic beverages to presenters on the job.
Radio presenters were allowed to sample some of the refreshments, but a few rendered themselves incapable of hosting their programmes when they did.
Discussing the ancient ways of the BBC with his co-host Vassos Alexander, Chris joked hosts had to sober up on air.
“When the BBC started they used to be a drinks trolley in the studio and there used to be stewards, who used to serve the announcers with drinks,” he began.
“There were certain programmes that were live apart from the last half an hour.”
He continued: “The host would pre-record the last half an hour of the show before the show was broadcast live because he would enjoy the hospitality of the stewards and the drinks trolley to the extent he couldn’t do the last half an hour.
“So he would become more and more relaxed live on air and then suddenly sober up for the last 30 minutes.”
“I love that story,” Vassos, a former BBC reporter laughed.
The Chris Evans Breakfast Show with Sky airs weekdays from 6.30am on Virgin Radio UK.