Pop singer ‘regrets’ Rachel Riley and Tracy Ann Oberman tweets
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Pop singer ‘regrets’ Rachel Riley and Tracy Ann Oberman tweets

Frontman of Sheffield group Reverend and The Makers apologised to the pair for 'any hurt or offence' after Twitter spat about antisemitism.

Actress Tracy Ann Oberman and Countdown presenter Rachel Riley 
Actress Tracy Ann Oberman and Countdown presenter Rachel Riley 

The lead singer and frontman of the English rock band Reverend and The Makers apologised to Rachel Riley and Tracy Ann Oberman following a Twitter spat.

Jon McClure apologised to the Countdown presenter and former EastEnders actor  yesterday for “any hurt or offence” caused by several tweets about the pair who have publicly called out antisemitism on social media.

Among the material was the claim their “constant outrage at everything and everyone is going to wind up with someone on the left being physically harmed.”

Writing that he “can be a d**khead on Twitter”, McClure admitted making “mean spirited” comments and retweeting “defamatory” material, including an article about the two friends.

“I did so in a rather childish spirit of point-scoring and freely admit I ought to have read the entirety of the article before republishing and believing it to be the truth,” he wrote.

“I’ve come to learn that much of what has been spread has been done by those with deeply held Antisemitic [sic] beliefs, which I wholly disown, and I truly regret my part in lending them false credibility through my own naivety and lack of research,” he added.

The apology comes after a report in the Jewish Chronicle in March claimed Riley and Oberman instructed the high-profile lawyer Mark Lewis to seek damages for libelous claims.

However, the apology appears to have been satisfactory, with Riley writing yesterday that she accepted it. “I’m pleased Jon McClure has taken responsibility for his actions and apologised. @TracyAnnO and I wish to draw a line under this and accept this apology,” she wrote.

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