In 1996, the Bee Gees—Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb—walked out of Clive Anderson’s BBC chat show after an interview that quickly turned hostile. What began as light banter escalated into a string of sarcastic and personal remarks that pushed the trio to their breaking point.

Anderson opened by poking fun at Barry Gibb’s famous falsetto, joking that he must have been “working with Mickey Mouse.” He then criticized the band for their association with 1970s disco culture, calling it “the decade which fashion forgot” and focusing almost entirely on their style rather than their accomplishments.

As the conversation continued, Anderson repeatedly interrupted the brothers, intensifying the discomfort onstage. He joked that they were “hit writers,” adding that they were only “one letter shy” of being “shit writers.” He also quipped that he originally thought they were “sisters” and mentioned that his dog enjoyed their high-pitched music.

The turning point came when Anderson referred to them as “Les Tossers,” a blunt British insult. The camera caught Barry Gibb’s expression tighten, signaling that the banter had crossed from teasing into disrespect.

Although the interview limped on for a short while, the mood never recovered. After Anderson dismissed one of their songs, Barry responded with icy sarcasm, saying, “We’re getting on like a storm, aren’t we, Clive?” Moments later, he added, “I might just leave,” before calling the host “the tosser” and walking offstage.

Robin and Maurice immediately followed, bringing the segment to an abrupt and awkward end. The incident became one of the most memorable walkouts in British television history.

In later interviews, Barry said the jokes felt less like humor and more like “humiliation,” describing them as a “barrage of inferred insults.” He explained that persistent negativity in interviews had worn him down, and he finally “snapped.”

Clive Anderson later expressed regret, admitting he “got the pitch of that wrong” and that his “hit writers” line was a mistake. The moment remains a vivid reminder that even legendary entertainers have limits to what they will tolerate on air.