Tony Fadell a man known as the "father of the iPod" for his work on the first 18 generations of Apple's music player, has said that Scott Forstall "got what he deserved" after being fired from the company for the bungled launch of Apple's Maps app.

In an interview with the BBC, when asked about the incident, he said "I think what happened just a few weeks back was deserved and justified and it happened."

Forstall was senior vice president of iOS software at Apple - the operating system which runs the company's smartphones and tablets. He was in charge of the launch of iOS 6, which was redesigned for the lastest iPhone 5 handset released in September and the new Maps app which came with it.

Apple used to bundle Google's Google Maps with its devices; however, the two companies are fierce rivals in the industry and, seeking to sever its relationship, Apple dropped Google's app from its App Store altogether and released its own mapping service instead.

However, Apple's Maps came in for a wave of criticism post its launch with users reporting glitches in the software and grossly inaccurate information. The incident became a public relations nightmare for Apple, forcing CEO Tim Cook to issue a public apology on the company's Web site.

Rumors had it that Forstall was asked to sign the apology and his refusal ultimately led to his downfall in October. Fadell said Forstall's departure was welcome news.

"If you read some of the reports, people were cheering in Cupertino when that event happened," he said. "So, I think Apple is in a great space, it has great products and there are amazing people at the company, and those people actually have a chance to have a firm footing now and continue the legacy Steve [Jobs] left."

Fadell began working for Apple in 2001 to assemble and run its iPod & Special Projects group, where he oversaw the design and production of the flagship music player, which was instrumental in turning Apple into one of the biggest companies in the world.

He stepped down from the company in 2008 and in 2010 launched his own startup - Nest. The company has recently launched a thermostat for the "smartphone generation," which learns a user's habits and adjusts their home energy usage accordingly.

Fadell is in the UK to talk about launching Nest outside the US and Canada, which he says aims to make everything "easier, cheaper, and greener."