What did Ariana Grande’s weight joke cost Bill Maher? The crowd’s instant reaction says it all

Ariana Grande lately has seemingly been at her lowest due to what her rep described as extreme unwanted attention over her body and weight.

Amid this, Bill Maher, the host of Real Time, delivered a joke at the pop icon's expense which reportedly did not quite land on his show's audience.

The late-night host opened his monologue with discussions over UFO files. 

“I hope the aliens are here; I do. I hope they’re here and watching us and they’re going to save us."

He continued, “And, by the way, the administration this week, just a few days ago, maybe yesterday, unleashed a new trove of UFO files. Interesting things in there."

"Triangular craft, weird lights over an army base, and a stick-like figure with large eyes." 

There, then, he made a quip on Grande, stating, "Oh, that was just an Ariana Grande video.”

Initially, according to Variety, the joke did evoke laughter from the live audience; however, Maher did not stop there.

He notched up his gag with another quip, adding, “Please, we kid. We kid. Maybe that joke will make her eat something.”

Instantly, the crowd sharply reacted to the joke with audible groans.

Maher's quips were a nod to growing concerns over Grande's health after nearly two weeks ago she dropped the music video of Petal – the song from his eighth eponymous album – where her frailness sparked speculation about her well-being.

Overwhelmed by such a response, the Grammy-winning singer, who was at one of the recent shows of her tour, said, “Thank you so much for always being such a loving, safe presence in my life. I love my fans so much, and I have since I was 13, I don’t know."

Not to mention, Grande's rep has also announced the musician is taking a “step back from visibility after her Eternal Sunshine tour", citing "ongoing public scrutiny as one of the reasons for the break."