Stephen Hawking: Brexit is too complex even for me

'I deal with tough mathematical questions every day but please don’t ask me to help with Brexit,' says the world famous physicist

Stephen Hawking might be one of the world’s most celebrated scientists worldwide but he has confessed that even he is not cut out to tackle Brexit.

The physicist, cosmologist and professor made the announcement while receiving an award from Theresa May at the Pride of Britain Awards on Monday night.

After the Prime Minister presented him with a lifetime achievement award at the event, Hawking said withdrawing Britain from the European Union was too difficult a task for even him to address.

“Thank you Prime Minister for those very kind words,” Hawking said while recieving the award.

“I deal with tough mathematical questions every day, but please don’t ask me to help with Brexit,” he then quipped, prompting laughter from the crowd. Even Ms May could not contain her amusement and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn could be glimpsed laughing and clapping in the crowd.

Hawking has previously argued the referendum verdict could have a damaging impact on the availability of funding and grants for imperative research such as the work he has carried out in the course of his career. Hawking has also drawn attention to the fact there is already some evidence of British scientists being frozen out of European projects.

The Pride of Britain Awards is an annual ceremony which honours British people who have acted extraordinarily and courageously in difficult situations.