Omid Scobie recently faced public criticism after he shared a screenshot of an alarm clock on March 22, 2024, through his official page on X. The time was set to 6 pm on the clock, which was when Kate Middleton announced her cancer diagnosis. Scobie posted the picture in question an hour before the same.
His tweet soon went viral online and netizens began to wonder what he was trying to convey. After the Princess of Wales shared her announcement via a video, netizens flooded the comments section of Scobie's post featuring the alarm clock with negative reactions.
He eventually deleted the post and issued a statement explaining why he did so. He stated that the now-deleted post was being portrayed as a "sick" countdown and said:
"It's upsetting and disturbing to now see that post being portrayed as some sort of sick 'countdown'"
Omid Scobie reveals the reason behind sharing the screenshot of the alarm clock and deleting the same
After Omid Scobie faced backlash for sharing the post, he deleted it and took to X on Saturday, March 23, to explain his decision. He stated that he heard that there would be an announcement arriving at 6 pm GMT from Kensington Palace and wished to inform his followers to "keep an eye out" for the same. However, explaining why he deleted the post, he noted:
"When the world, and myself, learned how serious the news ended up being, I removed the tweet to stop any speculation taking place underneath it."
The comments on Omid Scobie's posts have now been limited to those who follow him on X.
Omid Scobie additionally posted two more tweets, with one featuring a statement from Kate Middleton's video. He reposted the video and wrote:
"Kate, the Princess of Wales has shared that she is undergoing treatment for cancer. The abdominal surgery she had in January was successful, however tests carried out after revealed the presence of cancer and she started a course of chemotherapy."
Kate Middleton's announcement
Kate Middleton said in the video shared on March 22 that the last few months had not been easy for her. However, she stated that her "fantastic medical team" had been taking great care of her. She then revealed her diagnosis and said:
"In January, I underwent major abdominal surgery in London and at the time, it was thought that my condition was non-cancerous."
She continued:
"The surgery was successful. However, tests after the operation found cancer had been present. My medical team therefore advised that I should undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy and I am now in the early stages of that treatment."
She then said that she has been receiving a lot of messages from the public, wishing for her quick recovery, and requested some privacy while she completes her treatment.