A Fox News presenter has been criticised after admitting his 'stalker nonsense' while trying to get a date with his wife.
Of course, we're all perhaps a bit guilty of going one step further in a bid to get someone to like you: maybe it's buying someone chocolate and flowers; perhaps it's making spontaneous plans; or maybe you did something so your crush couldn't go anywhere, and had little choice but to accept your offer.
In the case of Fox News' Jesse Watters, it's the latter not-so-romantic tactic that secured him a date with the woman who'd go on to become his wife.
During a segment about climate activists urging people to deflate the tires on their SUVs to help the environment, Watters revealed the lengths he went to convince his wife, Emma DiGiovine, to date him.
He was already married and she was a colleague at the time, and 14 years younger than him.
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He said: "When I was trying to get Emma to date me, first thing I did, let the air out of her tires.
"She couldn't go anywhere, she needed a lift. I said, 'Hey you need a lift?' She got right into the car."
His co-presenters laughed, but they didn't seem overly impressed. "You're basically the Zodiac Killer,' one even said.
The clip has since made its way to Twitter, where it's been met with a sharper response.
Decoding Fox News wrote: "Jesse Watters jokes about how he courted a woman 14 years his junior. He let the air out of her tires so he could offer her a ride home.
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"He leaves out that he was married at the time. This is some stalker nonsense. She also worked for him. It's a Fox News love story."
Another user wrote: "I stopped a woman’s car from functioning, stranded her, and put her in danger to get her to date me... this is toxic masculinity. And they all just laughed and celebrated Jesse Watters for doing it."
A third tweeted: "There is nothing cute about this type of behaviour. Yet, every single co-host, find it amusing. Tells you all you need to know about the Fox culture."
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A fourth wrote: "Jesse Watters confessed to kidnapping his now wife, then intern, and called it their first date."
A fifth tweeted: "I taught high school for over two decades and Jesse Watters is the kid who ruined every lesson. Never funny, always trying too hard."
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Topics: US News
Cameron Frew