Meteorologist Jamie Simpson had no patience for “The Bachelorette” fans in the Dayton, Ohio, area who were airing their frustrations on social media Monday night that their favorite program was interrupted by tornado warnings.
One person died and more than 100 people were injured as tornados barreled across Ohio and Indiana on Monday night. In the Dayton area, a “large and destructive” tornado was one of several that touched down near the Ohio city, causing major damage and leaving about 55,000 people without power, according to The Washington Post.
Simpson was in the midst of telling viewers about the first of several tornado warnings Monday evening when he addressed comments he was seeing on social media from fans of “The Bachelorette.”
″I was just checking social media. We have viewers complaining already, ‘Just go back to the show,’” the Fox 45 weatherman said. “No! We’re not going back to the show, folks! This is a dangerous situation, OK?”
Simpson’s frustration seemed to grow as he continued to call out viewers.
“Some of you complaining that this is all about my ego, stop. Just stop right now. It’s not. I’m done with you people. I really am. This is pathetic,” he added.
Simpson soon apologized to viewers for going off, though he repeated his frustration that some viewers don’t care about the safety of others.
As the meteorologist’s comments went viral Monday, Simpson responded to media inquiries with a succinct message.
Fox 45 and the area’s ABC affiliate, ABC 22, are managed by Sinclair Broadcast Group. Both channels were interrupted for tornado warnings and storm coverage.
Even Hannah Brown, the “bachelorette” herself, responded to a tweet and cautioned Dayton viewers to pay attention to storm warnings.