Rocker Morrissey was scheduled to perform on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' earlier this week, but pulled out at the last minute after discovering the show's other guests were active duck hunters.

The 'Meat Is Murder' singer refused to commit to his slot upon discovering the cast of 'Duck Dynasty' were also set to appear and the show's host mocked him during that night's episode. Kimmel said: "While I respect his stance on this, I really do, there's a very good reason why I didn't dump the 'Duck Dynasty' guys for Morrissey. And that's because they have guns."

He also poked fun at Morrissey's appearance, adding: "He keeps finding new ways to depress us."

Following Tuesday night's broadcast, the singer issued a statement in which he expressed his distaste at Kimmel's jokes on depression, animal rights and guns: "Furthermore, he found time to jokingly promote gun-ownership -- hugely amusing for the parents at Sandy Hook, no doubt. He also promoted his special guests [from] 'Duck Dynasty' – who kill beings for fun. None of the above issues are, of course, as important as Jimmy Kimmel himself, who has finally revealed his show to have an overwhelming loss of meaning. Tune in and relive the intellectual fog of the 1950s."

In response, Kimmel then addressed the statement in his opening monologue during Wednesday night's edition of the programme: "This has nothing to do with people who eat meat versus people who don't. I’m completely respectful of people who do not eat meat, but the statement he made is ridiculous. I'd like to invite him to join the show to discuss. I'm an open, even-handed person, and I consider all points of view."

"If I keep saying it, maybe it will be true. I've invited him to talk this out, and perhaps we will both be better men for it, but probably not."

Watch Morrissey perform 'Action Is My Middle Name' below: