Numerous media outlets reported on the incident and the interview, citing portions of Hunt's original remarks and criticising them as sexist.[49][50] The editors of Nature called on "all involved in science [to] condemn the comments", which they took as a seriously intended suggestion "that single-sex labs might be preferable".[51] Hunt felt he had made it clear he was joking because he had included the phrase "now seriously" in his statement.[52] The reconstruction of his words by an unnamed EU official corroborated the inclusion of these words.[53]