Joe Lycett issues statement after walking off Steph’s Packed Lunch live on air

Viewers were left confused after Lycett walked off the daily talk show, which is based in Leeds Dock, on Thursday, July 1.

Earlier in the show, the Birmingham-born comedian had discussed giving up single-use plastic to help the environment.

However, when discussing Love Island later in the show, McGovern showed a picture of Lycett sat in his garden, saying he had "pimped" up his garden to make it look "more Love Island".

The presenter then pointed out a single-use plastic bottle in the photo.

She said: “Isn’t that one of the bottles you said you’d stopped using, in that picture?" to which Lycett responded: "I didn't realise I was on Newsnight, Steph".

Joe was then seen on camera removing his microphone and walking of the live set.

When the show returned from the ad break, McGovern said: "Joe Lycett was going to stick with us but he's had to leave."

However, Lycett today confirmed that the whole thing was pre-arranged.

In a statement, he said: "Some of you might’ve seen or read that I had a ‘tantrum’ on Steph’s Packed Lunch yesterday and ‘stormed off’ the show. This is absolutely true. What you might not know is: I planned the whole thing.

"Clear PET plastic bottles are widely recycled and contribute to the circular economy.

"If you put a clear PET plastic bottle in the recycling there’s a good chance it will become another clear PET plastic bottle. Coloured and in particular white PET plastic bottles are much harder to recycle.

I explained this on Thursday’s show, but later a picture with a bottle (made with white PET plastic) appeared on screen.

"Steph pointed out my apparent hypocrisy and I KICKED OFF (by ‘KICKED OFF’ I mean ‘took my mic off and left the studio’).

"All of it was planned, all of it rehearsed. Today I seeded pictures of me drinking from one of these bottles which Greg James agreed to retweet.

"The tabloids loved it - Mummy’s all over the press!

"The bottle in question? Yop.

"I risked my reputation as a jolly, affable and very-much-available chat show guest to say this as loud as I can: Yop, it’s time to stop using white PET plastic.

"What you sayin’ Yop?"