WENN.COM Morrissey fires back at Kimmel

Comedian Jimmy Kimmel may have blown his chances of ever booking rocker Morrissey for his late-night show again after mocking the singer's refusal to appear on the program.

The former Smiths star, a fervent anti-meat activist, pulled the plug on Tuesday's scheduled appearance on the show - his first since a bleeding ulcer forced him to scrap a series of U.S. dates last month - after learning Kimmel's fellow guests would be the stars of duck hunting reality show Duck Dynasty.

In a statement released on Monday, the Suedehead singer wrote, "As far as my reputation is concerned, I can't take the risk of being on a show alongside people who, in effect, amount to animal serial killers. If Jimmy cannot dump Duck Dynasty then we must step away."

Kimmel refused to axe his reality TV guests and instead used them to mock Morrissey on the show he abandoned.

The TV host said, "There's a very good reason why I didn't dump the Duck Dynasty guys for Morrissey, and it's because they have guns," adding, "He (Morrissey) keeps finding new ways to depress us."

Kimmel then introduced a skit, which promoted a Duck Dynasty spin-off especially for vegans.

Morrissey faces another controversy in Los Angeles, where the Kimmel show is filmed - he insists his March 1 concert at the Staples Center will be entirely meat-free, though arena bosses state they are only adding "a variety of vegetarian food items" to their already existing dining options, which include burgers and hot dogs. The venue also boasts McDonald's fast food outlets, although it is not clear if these will be open during Morrissey's concert.

Venue bosses have assured the rock star that backstage catering will be 100 per cent vegetarian.