Rock musician Meat Loaf thinks that Greta Thunberg has been brainwashed into thinking climate change is real.
The singer, 72, said he “feels” for the 17-year-old, whom he thinks has “been forced” into her beliefs.
“I feel for that Greta,” he told Mail Online. “She has been brainwashed into thinking that there is climate change and there isn’t.”
He continued: “She hasn’t done anything wrong, but she’s been forced into thinking that what she is saying is true.”
Meat Loaf’s comments come after global leaders and activists warned the bushfires currently ravaging Australia are an environmental emergency that must be tackled urgently.
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A firefighter hosing down trees and flying embers in an effort to secure nearby houses from bushfires near the town of Nowra in the state of New South Wales
AFP via Getty
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A satellite image of the Batemans Bay showing smoke and fire from wild bushfires
European Union, Copernicus Sentinel Data via REUTERS
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An aerial view of a bushfire near Bairnsdale
State Government of Victoria/EPA
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The afternoon sky glows red from bushfires in Nowra
AFP/Getty
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The remains of burnt out buildings along a main street in the New South Wales town of Cobargo
AFP/Getty
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Smoke billowing from a fire burning at East Gippsland, Victoria. More than 800,000 hectares have been burnt in East Gippsland
EPA/DELWP Gippsland
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A Rural Fire Service (RFS) firefighter conducts mopping up near the town of Sussex Inlet
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A helicopter dumping water on a fire in Victoria’s East Gippsland region
Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning/AFP
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Think smoke from bushfires fills the air in eastern Gippsland
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Wildfires rage under plumes of smoke in Bairnsdale
Glen Morey via AP
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Boats are pulled ashore as smoke and wildfires rage behind Lake Conjola
Robert Oerlemans via AP
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Smoke billowing from a fire burning at East Gippsland
EPA/DELWP Gippsland
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LIFES.A.BREEZE via REUTERS
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Smoke and wildfire rage behind Lake Conjola
Robert Oerlemans via AP
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Burning embers cover the ground as firefighters battle against bushfires around the town of Nowra
AFP via Getty
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The sky glows red as bushfires continue to rage in Mallacoota, Victoria
Jonty Smith via Reuters
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Wildfires rage under plumes of smoke in Bairnsdale
AP
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“Carmelised” snow caused by dust from Australian bushfires is seen near Franz Josef glacier in the Westland Tai Poutini National Park, New Zealand
Reuters
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Firefighters try to protect homes around Charmhaven, New South Wales
NSW Rural Fire Service/AP
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A house and van are seen destroyed after bushfires ravaged the town of Bilpin, west of Sydney
AFP via Getty
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Nowra
AFP via Getty
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Photographer Matt Roberts reacts to seeing his sister’s house destroyed by a bushfire in Quaama, New South Wales
EPA
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A helicopter fighting a bushfire near Bairnsdale in Victoria’s East Gippsland region
State Government of Victoria/AFP
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Firefighters hose down trees as they battle against bushfires around the town of Nowra
AFP via Getty
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Fire and Rescue personal run to move their truck as a bushfire burns next to a major road and homes on the outskirts of the town of Bilpin
Getty
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Amy, left, and Ben Spencer sit at the showgrounds in the southern New South Wales town of Bega where they are camping after being evacuated from nearby sites affected by bushfires
AFP via Getty
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A firefighter sprays foam retardant on a back burn ahead of a fire front in the New South Wales town of Jerrawangala
AFP via Getty
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Two bushfires approach a home located on the outskirts of the town of Bargo
Getty
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A New South Wales Police officer prepares to flee his roadblock on the Princes Highway near the town of Sussex Inlet
Getty
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Property damaged by the East Gippsland fires in Sarsfield, Victoria
EPA
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Nowra
AFP via Getty
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Property under threat from the East Gippsland fires in Sarsfield
EPA
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A Rural Fire Service firefighter conducts mopping up near the town of Sussex Inlet
Getty
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A home recently destroyed by bushfires can be seen near the town of Bilpin
Getty
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The main street of the New South Wales town of Bombala is pictured shrouded in smoke from nearby bushfires
AFP via Getty
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The remains of burnt out buildings in Cobargo
AFP via Getty
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Business owners stand in front of their shop which was destroyed by a bushfire in Cobargo
EPA
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Tourists walk through dense smoke from bushfires in front of the Batemans Bay bridge as cars line up to leave the town
AFP via Getty
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Children play at the showgrounds in the southern New South Wales town of Bega where they are camping after being evacuated from nearby sites affected by bushfires
AFP via Getty
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The afternoon sky glows orange from bushfires in the area around the town of Nowra
AFP via Getty
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Getty Images
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A firefighter hosing down trees and flying embers in an effort to secure nearby houses from bushfires near the town of Nowra in the state of New South Wales
AFP via Getty
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A satellite image of the Batemans Bay showing smoke and fire from wild bushfires
European Union, Copernicus Sentinel Data via REUTERS
15/52
An aerial view of a bushfire near Bairnsdale
State Government of Victoria/EPA
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The afternoon sky glows red from bushfires in Nowra
AFP/Getty
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The remains of burnt out buildings along a main street in the New South Wales town of Cobargo
AFP/Getty
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Smoke billowing from a fire burning at East Gippsland, Victoria. More than 800,000 hectares have been burnt in East Gippsland
EPA/DELWP Gippsland
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A Rural Fire Service (RFS) firefighter conducts mopping up near the town of Sussex Inlet
Getty
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A helicopter dumping water on a fire in Victoria’s East Gippsland region
Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning/AFP
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Think smoke from bushfires fills the air in eastern Gippsland
Getty
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Wildfires rage under plumes of smoke in Bairnsdale
Glen Morey via AP
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Boats are pulled ashore as smoke and wildfires rage behind Lake Conjola
Robert Oerlemans via AP
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Smoke billowing from a fire burning at East Gippsland
EPA/DELWP Gippsland
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LIFES.A.BREEZE via REUTERS
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Smoke and wildfire rage behind Lake Conjola
Robert Oerlemans via AP
27/52
Burning embers cover the ground as firefighters battle against bushfires around the town of Nowra
AFP via Getty
28/52
The sky glows red as bushfires continue to rage in Mallacoota, Victoria
Jonty Smith via Reuters
29/52
Wildfires rage under plumes of smoke in Bairnsdale
AP
30/52
“Carmelised” snow caused by dust from Australian bushfires is seen near Franz Josef glacier in the Westland Tai Poutini National Park, New Zealand
Reuters
31/52
Firefighters try to protect homes around Charmhaven, New South Wales
NSW Rural Fire Service/AP
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A house and van are seen destroyed after bushfires ravaged the town of Bilpin, west of Sydney
AFP via Getty
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Nowra
AFP via Getty
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Photographer Matt Roberts reacts to seeing his sister’s house destroyed by a bushfire in Quaama, New South Wales
EPA
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A helicopter fighting a bushfire near Bairnsdale in Victoria’s East Gippsland region
State Government of Victoria/AFP
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Firefighters hose down trees as they battle against bushfires around the town of Nowra
AFP via Getty
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Fire and Rescue personal run to move their truck as a bushfire burns next to a major road and homes on the outskirts of the town of Bilpin
Getty
38/52
Amy, left, and Ben Spencer sit at the showgrounds in the southern New South Wales town of Bega where they are camping after being evacuated from nearby sites affected by bushfires
AFP via Getty
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A firefighter sprays foam retardant on a back burn ahead of a fire front in the New South Wales town of Jerrawangala
AFP via Getty
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Two bushfires approach a home located on the outskirts of the town of Bargo
Getty
41/52
A New South Wales Police officer prepares to flee his roadblock on the Princes Highway near the town of Sussex Inlet
Getty
42/52
Property damaged by the East Gippsland fires in Sarsfield, Victoria
EPA
43/52
Nowra
AFP via Getty
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Property under threat from the East Gippsland fires in Sarsfield
EPA
45/52
A Rural Fire Service firefighter conducts mopping up near the town of Sussex Inlet
Getty
46/52
A home recently destroyed by bushfires can be seen near the town of Bilpin
Getty
47/52
The main street of the New South Wales town of Bombala is pictured shrouded in smoke from nearby bushfires
AFP via Getty
48/52
The remains of burnt out buildings in Cobargo
AFP via Getty
49/52
Business owners stand in front of their shop which was destroyed by a bushfire in Cobargo
EPA
50/52
Tourists walk through dense smoke from bushfires in front of the Batemans Bay bridge as cars line up to leave the town
AFP via Getty
51/52
Children play at the showgrounds in the southern New South Wales town of Bega where they are camping after being evacuated from nearby sites affected by bushfires
AFP via Getty
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The afternoon sky glows orange from bushfires in the area around the town of Nowra
AFP via Getty
Last year, climate activist Thunberg – who was named Time’s person of the year – sparked the fury of Jeremy clarkson, who called her, among other things, a “stupid idiot” who’s “causing young children sleepless nights”.
On Friday (3 January), Thunberg changed her Twitter name to Sharon in a joking reference to a clip from Celebrity Mastermind.
In a new episode of the BBC quiz, British actor Amanda Henderson was asked which Swedish climate change activist wrote No One is Too Small To Make A Difference.
The question left 33-year-old Henderson stumped, and after a short hesitation she replied: “Sharon?”
Shortly after the clip was shared on Twitter, where it has since been viewed more than seven million times, “Sharon” began trending on the social media platform.
