HOLLYWOOD heartthrob Ewan McGregor has branded the official Olympic mascot a “one-eyed joke.”
The Scottish star of Trainspotting and Shallow Grave said watching plastic statues of the mascots appear in London made him feel “sad”.
McGregor, who only joined Twitter two months ago, ranted to his 92,000 Twitter followers today: “I just saw the plastic Olympic Statues being placed in Regents Park. With this country’s artistic heritage this one eyed joke made me sad.”
83 six-foot high sculptures of Olympic mascot Wenlock and Paralympic mascot Madeville are appearing around London as part of a programme of attractions in the lead up to next weeks Olympic games.
The one-eyed creatures, which were first revealed by Olympic bosses in 2010, were universally panned.
America’s Vanity Fair called them “ghoulish,” while the founder of London’s Design Museum called the cartoon duo “ridiculous, infantile and atrocious.”
A spokesman for London Olympics 2012 said the project was led by the Mayors office.
McGregor’s comments went down well with his followers, gaining more than 100 re-tweets within minutes.
One tweeter wrote: “I’m glad, I’m not the only one who don’t like them,” with another adding: “Is it too much to ask that whoever came up with those ‘Mascots’ should be shot? Is that too harsh?” “I don’t think so… Is it?. Another fan added: “Are these the things that look like telly tubbies?”
Wenlock is named after the town of Much Wenlock, which held games in the 19th century that are said to have inspired the modern Olympics. Mandeville comes from Stoke Mandeville Hospital, which held competitions that led to the Paralympics.
