Don Lemon clutches his back and complains after failing to apologize on-air for his sexist comments

CNN host Don Lemon clutched his back and complained about his age during his first day back on air after claiming Nikki Haley was too old to run for president. 

Lemon, 56, did not comment on the outrage over his ageist comments during This Morning Wednesday, although he’d posted a groveling apology on Twitter just before the broadcast began.

But later in the show, he started to squat and jump with co-host Poppy Harlow, before grabbing his back when she asked, ‘are you getting too old for that?’ and he replied with raised eyebrows: ‘Yes I am’. 

They had been discussing having a four-day work week, when Lemon, who is believed to earn a multi-million dollar annual salary,  said that he ‘likes working’ and ‘going into the office’ – after his return from a three-day hiatus.  

Wednesday’s show saw co-host Kaitlan Collins broadcasting from Poland, while covering President Biden’s trip to Europe. She and Lemon are said to have repeatedly clashed since they began hosting the scandal-plagued show last fall.  

Lemon has reportedly been forced to have ‘formal training’ after his comments about GOP 2024 hopeful Nikki Haley, who is 51, being ‘past her prime’. 

He finally addressed the controversy following a three-day absence from the show where he was forced to talk to top bosses about his behavior 

Lemon tweeted just before going on air: ‘I appreciate the opportunity to be back on CNN This Morning today. 

‘To my network, my colleagues and our incredible audience — I’m sorry. I’ve heard you, I’m learning from you, and I’m committed to doing better. See you soon.’

Insiders claim that Lemon is aware that he is on his ‘final warning’ after a series of insulting blunders on the early-morning show. 

After some initial awkwardness waiting for Harlow to open the show, Lemon settled back into his role and was laughing and joking.  

CNN’s Chairman Chris Licht, who has slammed Lemon’s remarks, sent a memo to staffers Monday saying that Lemon has agreed to participate in training.

According to a memo sent to staffers on Monday, Licht said: ‘I sat down with Don and had a frank and meaningful conversation.

‘He has agreed to participate in formal training, as well as continuing to listen and learn. We take this situation very seriously.

‘It is important to me that CNN balances accountability with a fostering a culture in which people can own, learn and grow from their mistakes.’

The 56 year-old joked that he was too old to be jumping around, just hours after returning to the screen following his comments about NIkki Haley’s age 

Lemon, 56, has not yet commented on his behavior on screen, but tweeted before going on air that he ‘appreciated the opportunity’ to be back on the show on Wednesday

The star took a chauffeur driven SUV 150 years from the CNN garage to a loading bay at his apartment in Hudson Yards 

Licht previously said that the remarks were ‘upsetting, unacceptable and unfair to his co-hosts, and ultimately a huge distraction to the great work of this organization’ during an editorial call on Friday.

Lemon came under fire when he made ‘sexist’ comments on Thursday’s show when discussing Haley’s suggestion that politicians 75 and older should face mental competency tests.

During the editorial call on Friday Lemon said: ‘I’m sorry I don’t mean to hurt anyone. I did not mean to offend anyone.

‘What I said came out wrong and I wish I hadn’t said it. I believe women of any age can do anything they set their minds to. 

‘The people I am closest to in this organization are women. When I make a mistake. I own it and I own this one as well. I understand why you are upset and disappointed.

‘I was trying to make the point that no one’s age should define their ambition or potential for success and I was saying those comments to Nikki Haley. I’m going to continue to be who I am.’

After some initial awkwardness waiting for Harlow to open the show, Lemon settled back into his role and was laughing and joking

Lemon failed to mention the controversy in the first hour and a half of the show, despite tweeting beforehand

His partner Tim Malone walked back from the CNN filming studio to their shared apartment as Lemon got a car 

The star has reportedly been forced to have ‘formal training’ after his comments about GOP Nikki Haley being ‘past her prime’

Lemon cut a glum figure as he walked to the CNN offices in New York early on Wednesday morning 

The host took an unscheduled day off on Monday, after jetting off to Miami with his fiancé on a planned trip – which conveniently coincided with the backlash.

He also lost out on an interview with disgraced Congressman George Santos to TalkTV’s Piers Morgan following his comments.

Several insiders say that there has been an increase in calling for Lemon to be removed from the show because of his behavior.

Lemon has been keeping a low profile after his Miami holiday, and even stepped back from hosting an event in New York yesterday about ‘race and real estate’ in honor of Black History Month amid the controversy.

It comes after Nikki Haley, who is four years younger than Lemon, has hit out again at the comments saying she is past her prime.

She told Fox News yesterday to ‘hold my beer’ and watch what she can do next while discussing the comments.

Licht slammed Lemon’s remarks as ‘upsetting, unacceptable and unfair to his co-hosts, and ultimately a huge distraction to the great work of this organization’

CNN’s Chairman Chris Licht, who has slammed Lemon’s remarks, sent a memo to staffers Monday saying that Lemon has agreed to participate in training

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley called herself the ‘biggest threat that liberals have ever seen,’ and said attacks on her by Don Lemon and liberal critics were meant to stop her

When asked about the incident with Lemon, and The View Host Whoopi Goldberg also weighting in, she said: ‘It’s not a surprise. I’ve done this for a long time you read the poll numbers of how I deal with independents and suburban women and all those.

‘They know that I’m the biggest threat that liberals have ever seen, and they’re scared about it.’

Lemon apologized for his comments on Thursday’s show, and tweeted: ‘The reference I made to a woman’s ‘prime’ this morning was inartful and irrelevant, as colleagues and loved ones have pointed out, and I regret it.

‘A woman’s age doesn’t define her either personally or professionally. I have countless women in my life who prove that every day.’

Lemon was seen in Miami at the weekend as furor over his sexist comments about women’s prime rocked CNN 

Collins, 30, the youngest chief White House Correspondent on CNN, reportedly wants to be on set with the anchor ‘as little as possible’ after the incident. Pictured: Lemon with co-stars Poppy Harlow and Kaitlan Collins at an NBA game 

Harlow reportedly stormed off the set after Lemon’s comments last week and just weeks ago he allegedly threw a screaming fit after a broadcast because he was angry Collins had interrupted him on-air. 

Harlow took a ‘well timed’ bathroom break and was followed into the bathroom by Kaitlan Collins – with the source adding the tense relationship has been ‘smoldering for months’.

Collins had her own run-in with her fellow host, who was seen on camera repeatedly interrupting her throughout the show on December 8.

Lemon allegedly made Collins run from the set in tears on after he berated her in front of the television crew and their other co-host.

After that, he was reportedly told to take a day to ‘cool off’ by boss Chris Licht but instead blew up on staffers after a company newsletter featured a story about his altercation with the White House Correspondent.

Megyn Kelly slammed CNN CEO Chris Licht for refusing to fire Don Lemon after his sexist comments about women past their 40s not being in their ‘prime’

Lemon’s actions toward women are coming to light, especially after he allegedly screamed at Kaitlan Collins off-air for interrupting him on December 8, sources say

Lemon went ‘ballistic’ at staffers who highlighted the spat with Collins, according to RadarOnline – with the host claiming she ‘interrupted him’ during a December broadcast.

Since the incident in December, Lemon has been sent to Memphis and on other assignments, while Collins worked remotely from Washington DC on several occasions in January.

Megyn Kelly has also slammed CNN CEO Licht for refusing to fire lemon over the comments, asking ‘does someone have to grab a a boob for us to count?’

Kelly viewed Licht’s response as a mere slap on the wrist and questioned when Lemon would be added to the list of fired CNN staffers for offending ‘half the country.’

She said: ‘It shouldn’t have to be that you were raped by a man, or 21 women come forward alleging that they’ve been sexually harassed by a man, or they’ve been inappropriately touched by a man for their offense to matter.

‘We’ve seen person after person get fired because they caused offense, mere offense, when it comes to race, when it comes to sexual orientation, when it comes to gender identity.

Lemon was seen in Miami at the weekend as furor over his comments about women’s prime rocked CNN

Lemon, 56, went ‘ballistic’, claiming Kaitlan Collins had ‘interrupted him’ during a December broadcast 

‘Does women’s offense matter?… Because this guy [Don Lemon] managed to piss off half the country. It’s not left or right. This is about decency’.

Lemon’s December blow-up isn’t the first wrong move he’s made while adjusting to sharing the limelight with his new colleagues.

A week prior he was shot down by Collins and Harlow after they accused him of mansplaining why the US men’s soccer team should get paid more – despite their lack of success.

He insisted that he was joking when he said that men were ‘more interesting to watch’- with the interaction making for awkward viewing.

CNN This Morning has suffered a ratings bomb and early last month experienced its least-viewed week since launch, averaging just over 330,000 viewers.