Good Morning Britain viewers slammed Ed Balls and Kate Garraway for their ‘terrible’ interview on Wednesday morning.
The ITV presenting duo, both 57, interviewed Conservative MP Robert Jenrick about the recent riots taking place across the nation.
Angry far-right mobs have brought chaos – looting shops, setting fire to hotels and targeting police officers – in some of the worst disorder in over a decade.
Hundreds of people have been arrested so far, with some already appearing in court over the series of charges and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer – who has described the riots as ‘far-right thuggery’ – called an emergency COBRA on Tuesday.
GMB brought Jenrick on to the show to discuss if the Conservative government have a part to play in the riots, but as the chat went on, audiences at home became frustrated as they noticed the hosts repeatedly cut off their guest.
Good Morning Britain viewers slammed Ed Balls and Kate Garraway for their ‘terrible’ interview on Wednesday morning
The ITV presenting duo, both 57, interviewed Conservative MP Robert Jenrick (pictured) about the recent riots taking place across the nation
One viewer fumed on social media platform X: ‘It’s a shame you didn’t allow him to speak’;
‘Personally thought this was a terrible interview, Ed Balls and Kate didn’t give the man time to answer, and Ed Balls smug face when they showed him the video of him in parliament’;
‘They didn’t want to hear his answers, kept on interrupting him time and time. Rubbish reporting!’;
‘Kate and Ed are so awful. Can’t watch them anymore so goodbye @gmb’
It comes after ITV defended allowing Ed Balls to interview his wife Yvette Cooper on Good Morning Britain.
The broadcaster has come under fire after the former Labour cabinet minister – who is now a regular presenter on the ITV breakfast show – grilled his own wife during Monday’s episode in her role as the home secretary.
A spokesperson for GMB has now said: ‘Following a weekend of rioting and national unrest, GMB featured a range of interviews and discussion around this national emergency on today’s programme which included James Cleverly , shadow home secretary, and Yvette Cooper, home secretary.
‘We are satisfied that these interviews were balanced, fair and duly impartial.’
GMB was branded ’embarrassing to the extreme’ by viewers after Ed interviewed his wife Yvette Cooper in a ‘huge conflict of interests’.
GMB brought Jenrick on to the show to discuss if the Conservative government have a part to play in the riot
As the chat went on, audiences at home became frustrated as they noticed the hosts repeatedly cut off their guest
One viewer fumed on social media platform X: ‘It’s a shame you didn’t allow him to speak’
Ed, 57, interviewed Home Secretary Yvette, 55, alongside Kate Garraway , 57, about the riots across the UK and asked what the police, government and social media sites should be doing.
Ed and Kate questioned Yvette on the government’s refusal to label the riots ‘Islamophobic’, as posed earlier in the programme by Zarah Sultana.
Yvette began: ‘What we’ve seen on the streets of some cities and towns over the weekend frankly is criminal violence and thuggery.
‘That is what it is first and foremost, and that’s why it needs the full force of the law behind it.’
Ed said: ‘Can I ask, because we’ve talked about this a few times in the last few days – like many of our viewers will have done at home since those terrible killings in Southport – there have been identifiable individuals on social media who have been inciting not just riots but violence.
‘They’ve been using racist language and falsehoods. This is happening on the social media platforms.
‘What should be done by the social media companies and the police and the government to stop this happening? It’s been happening for a week.’
She replied: ‘Well you’re right, Ed. We have seen things appearing online that are clearly criminal.
It comes after ITV defended allowing Ed Balls to interview his wife Yvette Cooper on Good Morning Britain
The broadcaster has come under fire after the former Labour cabinet minister – who is now a regular presenter on the ITV breakfast show – grilled his own wife during Monday’s episode in her role as the home secretary
Ed and Yvette have been married since 1998 and share three children: Joe Balls, Mady Balls, and Ellie Cooper
‘Social media has put rocket boosters under far-right extremist organisations and also some of the violence we have seen. Things that are criminal offline are also criminal online.’
Ofcom has recently examined the issue of politicians hosting current affair programme after a debate over Nigel Farage’s appearances on GB News during the general election campaign.
The regulator has ruled that while the British public is ‘instinctively uncomfortable’ with the practice, there wasn’t a ‘clear consensus for an outright ban’.
Largely ignoring the content of the interview, GMB viewers took exception to the decision to put Ed in such a compromising position on X, formerly Twitter.
They wrote: ‘Does @GMB realise just how utterly ridiculous it looks by continuing to invite @edballs on as a presenter whilst he defends the actions of the Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, his wife!?’
‘Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is asked why the govt hasn’t used the term ‘Islamophobic’. In her answer Cooper (finally) uses the word. As for husband interviewing wife, how does #GMB think this is tenable?’
‘Ed who’s just treated @zarahsultana with contempt for suggesting MSM plays it’s part in whipping up hate is about to interview his wife in an obvious conflict of interests even for a 5-year-old viewer. Stick to Kerry Katona and Strictly #Gmb’
‘Interesting that Ed Balls doesn’t interrupt his wife when interviewing but with other guests he does every 5 mins #gmb #goodmorningbritain’
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‘Is it really appropriate that Ed Balls is hosting news coverage directly concerning the response to the protests of his wife and the government she is a part of?’
‘Sorry this is insane! You can’t have Ed Balls on a program ‘interviewing’ his own wife, what a stupid stupid editorial decision! I can’t believe Yvette Cooper went along with this!’
‘Why is Yvette Cooper’s husband (Ed Balls) allowed to defend her abysmal handling of the race riots? I’m not sure this is allowed?’;
‘I don’t think Ed Balls should be interviewing Yvette Cooper on GMB. They’re a married couple. It’s ridiculous.’
‘Surely good practice would mean that Ed Balls should not be on a programme that is featuring his wife, the Home Secretary Yvette Cooper . Get it sorted @gmb.’
Ed and Yvette have been married since 1998 and share three children: Joe Balls, Mady Balls, and Ellie Cooper
