Hugh Laurie has apologised for his scathing response to a viral review of his hit show House.

The actor was responding to freelance journalist Janet Murray who had shared her thoughts on his 2004-2012 medical drama, critiquing the show’s formulaic storylines.

Laurie, 66, replied to the online review with a lengthy response dripping in his cantankerous character Gregory House’s signature sarcasm.

But when the journalist directed followers to an article she had written about the online interaction and the trolling she had received, the Brit star apologised explaining he was ‘very slightly drunk’ when penning his original reply.

‘I’m sorry if people have been having a go at you because of my tweet,’ Laurie wrote on X. ‘Not at all the plan. I was very slightly drunk and already upset about something that had nothing to do with you.’

‘If it’s any comfort, I got it in the neck too. I’m a thin-skinned t**t, apparently, even though it wasn’t my skin. I was sticking up for the writers who I adored.’

Hugh Laurie has apologised for his scathing response to a viral review of his hit show House, critiquing the show’s formulaic storylines

When the journalist said she had been trolled over her original tweet, the Brit star apologised explaining he was ‘very slightly drunk’ when penning his reply

In his original response Laurie had told Murray that ‘one could apply your trenchant analysis to other art forms: JS Bach wrote 30 Goldberg variations on the same chord structure; Frida Kahlo painted 50 portraits of herself; Henry Moore, what?? The point is, or was, variations on a theme.’

He has now apologised for citing ‘Bach/Kahlo/Moore’, admitting it was ‘asking for trouble’ and he ‘would have done better to go for the 10,000 blues songs written around the same 12 bar chord structure. I’ve listened to most of them and will keep doing so. Because we love what we love.’

In her first tweet, which has now been viewed over two million times, Murray wrote that she was ‘late to the party, but I’ve started watching Season 1 of House. Same narrative every episode: Patient has mysterious illness. Hugh Laurie (House) gets diagnosis wrong. Patient nearly dies.’

‘Hugh Laurie gets diagnosis wrong again. Gets threatened with being fired. Patient nearly dies again. Hugh Laurie has last minute leftfield idea. Gets diagnosis right. Doesn’t get fired. Eight seasons of this?’

Laurie then replied: ‘Thanks for your critique, Janet. We actually tried a couple of episodes where House (Hugh Laurie) (please put the brackets in the right place) gets it right first time, but they were only 6 minutes long. NBC weren’t happy.’

‘Then we tried some where House never gets it right and the patient dies. The audience wasn’t happy.

He ended the reply with: ‘Nonetheless, I look forward to your first novel!’

Whilst many told Murray that it was ‘a badge of honour’ to receive a reply from the man himself, Laurie was criticised by some for being ‘classless’ with his message, to which he replied: ‘OK.’

In her first tweet that has now been viewed over two million times, Murray wrote that she was ‘late to the party, but I’ve started watching Season 1 of House. Same narrative every episode’

Laurie, 66, replied to the online review with a lengthy response dripping in his cantankerous character Gregory House’s signature sarcasm

Another pointed out that ‘the series stopped 14 years ago. Is it really worth going to such an effort to put someone who thinks it might be a bit “samey” in their place? It was a popular, long-running series and consensus is that you were great in it. Isn’t that enough?’

‘I put no more effort into my message than you have into yours. It just happens to be closer to my heart,’ replied the actor.

House ran for eight seasons and earned a plethora of Emmy nominations, including outstanding drama series four times, and six nods for Laurie.

Last year a podcast host shared the brutally honest rejection he received from Laurie when he asked him to appear on his medically themed show.

Doctor Mike, whose real name is Mikhail Varshavski, is a family medicine physician who launched a podcast named The Check Up With Doctor Mike.

The podcast has featured a segment where Doctor Mike reacts to old House episodes and debunks what is medically accurate or not.

During an episode with Noah Wyle, who stars in The Pitt and played Dr John Carter in ER, Doctor Mike revealed Hugh’s reaction when he was asked to come on the podcast.

House ran for eight seasons and earned a plethora of Emmy nominations, including outstanding drama series four times, and six nods for Laurie

Doctor Mike said: ‘We invited Hugh Laurie to our show because a lot of folks like when we do House M.D. reacts. And his staff was like oh this is a good fit. We’re going to reach out to him and see what he thinks.

‘I’m gonna read you quote-unquote what he said. He is not interested in opportunities like this, frankly doesn’t care about the audience or reliving the show.’

Noah was clearly impressed with Hugh’s line, and said: ‘That’s so baller.’

While Doctor Mike added: ‘It’s just such a direct and honest reply. Not just that he won’t do your show, he just doesn’t ever wanna be House M.D. ever again.’

Noah insisted he is much more amenable, and said: ‘I’m a Gemini, middle child pleaser. I’ll answer any question you’ll ask me.’