Pizzagate: TV magician Paul Daniels had hospital checkup after he was pelted with a margarita pizza by Sooty
By Alanah Eriksen
Last updated at 7:19 PM on 3rd August 2011
It has already been dubbed Pizzagate.
And hours after the news broke that Sooty had pelted TV magician Paul Daniels with a pizza, it had become the fourth-highest trending topic on Twitter in the UK.
A fake Sooty account fuelled the debate, celebrities weighed in and the UK arm of billion-dollar production company Paramount Pictures even started suggesting names for a Sooty movie.
But Paul, 73, said the incident last month had been blown out of proportion. Although he admitted he took himself to hospital to get checked out afterwards.
Whacked: Veteran TV magician Paul Daniels took himslef to hospital after he was pelted with a margarita pizza has admitted needing medical treat
The Sun reported today that puppet Sooty, worked by co-star Richard Cadell, hurled the pizza at Paul in a second take - after he insisted his first effort had been too weak.
It claimed Paul had to be taken to A&E after the stunt on ITV's The Sooty Show, to be treated for suspected head injuries and a black eye.
The knockout apparently astonished Sooty's sidekicks Soo and Sweep, but is still due to screen on the show later this year.
Worried that guests would not attend his show at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, which he is to open today, Paul took to Twitter to clear up the story.
'All that happened that I got hit in the eye with a pizza and called into a lovely local hospital on the way home to have it checked.'
He added: 'Saying I am in hospital when I am not, or hurt when I am not, could stop people coming to the show. I guess you never thought that.'
'BIG FACT. Ignore the SUN 'news'. That Sooty accident was AGES ago and I am well, happy, and raring to start the Ed Fringe this afternoon.'
Paul was a special guest on the show with his wife and assistant Debbie McGee, 52.
Sooty vs Paul: The pair will appear on ITV's The Sooty Show later this year
His agent Chris Davis had told The Sun: 'It damaged his eye. We had to go to hospital and cancelled a gig.
'But he's made a full recovery and is about to go to the Edinburgh Festival for a month.'
A parody Twitter account for Sooty had minute-by-minute status updates, with an apology for his guest and rebuttals to some of the hundreds of comments coming in from the public.
'Hang on!!!' he said.
'This is nothing like the Rupert Murdoch pie attack, please don't twin the situations. Sooty x'
He added: 'It was a stunt that went wrong, Sooty x'
But later, he callously wrote: 'Right, get this, @SweepOfficial just went down to the shop and brought us Pizza, hahahaha, i feel so bad eating it, #not'
Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz director Edgar Wright shared a link with the story saying: 'Now this is a headline'.
Former News of The World political editor David Wooding said: 'Best story in rather dull papers today. Paul Daniels hospitalised and given black eye by Sooty. Has news ever been better?'
And Radio 1 news presenter Natalie Jamieson quipped: 'Who knew Sooty had such aim'.
Sooty replied: 'Natalie I really did get him square in the eye, RESULT! Sooty x'
Even fellow puppet Dustin the Turkey, from Ireland's The Den on RTÉ, weighed in, saying: 'My thoughts and prayers are with Paul Daniels AND Sooty at this difficult hour. Please join me in wishing them well.'
Paramount and DVD hire store Blockbuster suggested names for Sooty movies including When Harry Met Sooty, Sin Sooty and Sooty of God.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2022007/Pizzagate-Paul-Daniels-hospital-check-Sooty-pelted-pizza.html#ixzz1U0UIQjWG