LONDON -- We're used to seeing false rumours circulating on Twitter about celebrities dying, but reports about a person dying for a second time is new.
That's what happened Monday morning when Twitter users tweeted their sadness at the death of BBC children's programme presenter Tony Hart. The only issue -- Hart actually passed away in 2009, aged 83.
Hart was known for children's art shows such as Hartbeat, Take Hart and Vision On and was often accompanied by animated stop-motion character Morph, produced by the people behind Wallace and Gromit.
People paid their tributes:
Awwww Tony Hart has died. Used to love him on tv as a kid.— Rick Houghton © ⤷ (@Hortini) February 15, 2015
RIP Tony Hart - a real childhood hero even if my painting never got on TV— Kara (@ChelseaMamma) February 15, 2015
Such an inspiration to me and so many others :( Tony Hart, artist and inspiration for children, dies at 83 http://t.co/MKHKYqJwDZ— Richard Aston (@AstonFaceon) February 15, 2015
Tony Hart probably had an influence on your creativity if you grew up in the 70's. RIP #tonyhart pic.twitter.com/EOQoHN9n8p— Jon Carter (@MonkeymafiaJC) February 15, 2015
Morph set the record straight:
Over the past 24 hrs, many people on Twitter have reported that Tony Hart has recently died. Tony sadly died in 2009. pic.twitter.com/PLHkjraxdw— Morph (@AmazingMorph) February 16, 2015
But before long Hart's "death" was trending:
People are currently posting six tweets per minute about their sadness over Tony Hart's death. He died in 2009.— Stuart Heritage (@stuheritage) February 15, 2015
Very sad to hear that Tony Hart had died again. Twice in 5 years is very unlucky #RIP— Andehh (@andehh12) February 16, 2015
Very sad to hear Tony Hart has died all over again. Such a shame when that happens.— [Skip this ad] (@MatthewEyre) February 15, 2015
Tony Hart is the only human to ever die twice. Once in 2009 and today on Twitter.— Anthony Mc Guinness (@anthonymcg) February 16, 2015
So sorry to hear about Tony Hart. It's never the people that you want to die twice that do so.— Brian Bilston (@brian_bilston) February 16, 2015
Tony Hart in secret Bond Movie "You Only Die Twice".— Kevin McNulty (@McNultyKevin) February 16, 2015
With so many people linking to the original obituary in the Guardian, the paper added a line to the top of its story clarifying that Hart had indeed died in 2009.