Richard Madeley Brands Chris Rock 'Most Unpleasant Celeb' He's Ever Met

Richard Madeley has given his opinion of Chris Rock following the moment the comedian was slapped by Will Smith during the Oscars - and it's fair to say he's not a fan.

The Oscars had more than its fair share of drama last night after Smith stormed on stage to slap Rock over a joke he made about Jada Pinkett Smith.

Speaking about the situation on today's Good Morning Britain, Madeley weighed in branding Rock the 'rudest' celebrity he'd ever met and saying he understood why Smith had hit out.

He said: "I was asked by GQ Magazine some years ago... he [Rock] was the most unpleasant person I've ever interviewed of my entire career, and that goes back to 1972 when I started at a local newspaper.

"I said, without hesitation, Chris Rock. It's on the record, Chris Rock."

He went on to say he and wife Judy Finnegan had met Rock when he was promoting Madagascar.

"It was a pre-recorded interview," Madeley continued. "If it had been live, we would have abandoned it. He was the most unpleasant, rude, aggressive, unlikeable person I've ever interviewed on camera, without question.

"We edited around all the difficult bits and the interview that went out looked alright, but actually, his behaviour was awful. In my book, he's the most unpleasant celebrity I've ever had the misfortune to meet."

ITV

He then went on to say that while he didn't condone violence, he did understand why Smith was so angry.

Madeley said: "I don't condone it, what he did was wrong, but I do understand it.

"If Judy had alopecia and someone used her condition as material, I'm not sure what I'd do."

While co-presenter Susanna Reid slammed Smith for his reaction saying it was 'not OK'.

She said: "He doesn't merit a slap. It's not okay, sorry, slapping people is not okay." Madeley replied: "I'm not justifying what he did but I can see why 50 percent of our viewers think it's okay. We saw a moment of flawed humanity."

Reid went on: "Also this point about, 'I was defending her'. Yes if she was being assaulted, I understand, but not over a joke.

"If they condone it and say there was a justification for it, they're saying it's alright that if something says something and then gets hurt, it's okay."