Marty Guilfoyle has finally addressed the controversy surrounding him joining “Ireland’s first TikTok house”.
Earlier this week, the Spin 1038 host was announced as a member of ‘The G.O.A.T House’ – a content creator house based in South Dublin.
Marty joined nine other TikTok stars in the house – including Shauna Davitt, Andrea Camila, Lewis Kelly, Thomas Arnold, Jake Brown, Ryan Mar, Lauren Whelan, Leila Ecker, and Nia Gallagher.
However, the radio presenter’s decision to move into the house sparked some backlash on social media – as some people pointed out the age gap between Marty and some of the younger members.
Responding to the backlash in a statement posted on social media, Marty confirmed he has since left The G.O.A.T House, as he addressed the nasty comments he’s received online.
Marty wrote: “Around two weeks ago, I was invited by someone my own age to join a collaborative TikTok project inspired by ones like it in the UK and America.”
“Whether you’re familiar with with TikTok or not, it’s responsible for the biggest shift in music distribution in the last decade, and it can make or break a career. You might only know me as a radio presenter, but my passion is my own music.”
“The project sounded like a bit of fun, but if it went well it could have a huge impact in my work. There’s still lots of room for innovation around TikTok, so even if it came to nothing at least I’d get to meet some like-minded people in that space,” he continued.
Please read ❤️
I promise it’s nothing to do with being a vegetarian. pic.twitter.com/7bTSD6ZOdD— Martin Guilfoyle (@MartyGuilfoyle) September 4, 2020
“When I signed on I had no idea who was going to be in the house with me, and I took a leap of faith. Fast forward three days and suddenly I’m the number one trending topic in the country, which absolutely wild to me – it’s a content collaboration project, and it’s not like there’s nothing else going on in the world.”
“Maybe you think it’s stupid. Fine. Maybe you think I’m stupid. Fine. I can take a slagging as well as the next guy. But what’s really upset me are suggestions that signing on for a work project with a group of adults was somehow weird or even predatory,” Marty wrote.
“Like I said, I can take a slagging, but not everyone can, and especially not to this extent. At this stage, my concern is that it might start to affect other people involved, so I have left the house and no longer have any connection to the project.”
“I wish everyone there the best of luck, I hope they have an amazing time, and I can’t wait to see what comes out of the collaboration,” he added.
Marty released a statement after a host of his friends and former colleagues took to Twitter to defend him, after his name started trending on the platform.
Doireann Garrihy, who used to host The Zoo Crew with Marty on Spin 1038, tweeted: “You can think the Irish Tik Tok house is cringe, scarlet for the people involved, badly timed, whatever you like…”
“But if you’re throwing around the words ‘paedo’ and ‘pervert’ when describing someone involved in the project…with NO basis for the shit you’re spouting, you would want to take a proper look at yourself. It is disgraceful. THINK before you type, it is so simple.”
2/2:
would want to take a proper look at yourself. It is disgraceful. THINK before you type, it is so simple.— Doireann Garrihy (@DoireannGarrihy) September 4, 2020
Radio presenter Luke O’Faolain also wrote on Twitter: “Seeing some absolutely horrible tweets about my friend.”
“There’s a difference between friendly slagging and what’s currently being said about Martin Guilfoyle. Cop yourselves on, be kind.”
Seeing some absolutely horrible tweets about my friend.
There’s a difference between friendly slagging and what’s currently being said about Martin Guilfoyle.
Cop yourselves on, be kind.
— Luke O’Faolain????????♂️ (@FaolainLuke) September 4, 2020
Killian O’Sullivan also jumped to Marty’s defence by tweeting an altered photo of him as an old man, and wrote: “Me reading comments online about how @MartyGuilfoyle is old cause he’s ‘like, 30 or whatever.'”
“Christ. I feel like deleting everything,” he added.
Me reading comments online about how @MartyGuilfoyle is old cause he’s ‘like, 30 or whatever’
Christ.
I feel like deleting everything. pic.twitter.com/OYfKTrHc4O— Killian O’Sullivan (@ActuallyKillian) September 4, 2020
See more tweets in his defence:
Dunno why Marty Guilfoyle is getting so much hate, it’s a business opportunity. There’s older people living in Logan Pauls gaff, Team 10’s gaff, the clout house. Load of jealous people out there. Yeah state of the Irish Tik Tokers in general but its business. #martyguilfoyle
— Mark Aungier (@AungierM) September 4, 2020
Literally.
I hate Twitter at the best of times but seeing a friend getting torn apart by people who think their tweets have no repercussions is honestly so heartbreaking. https://t.co/SpZUcQpvJ9
— Denise Curtin (@DeniseTCurtin) September 4, 2020
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