Good Morning Britain co-host Kate Garraway came under fire from viewers today (Thursday June 19) as she ‘made a joke’ during a news item.
Kate, 58, was slammed as “disrespectful” on social media following the moment which occurred she was addressing the death of Yvonne Ford.
The British grandmother passed away recently after contracting rabies from a puppy. She sustained a “slight scratch” during a holiday in Morocco in February, her family has said. However, Ms Ford – who was from Barnsley, south Yorkshire – only became ill two weeks ago.
Good Morning Britain today: What did Kate Garraway say?
Discussing the news earlier in this morning’s broadcast, Kate – co-hosting with telly colleague Adil Ray – asked: “Did you see this extraordinary story?”
As she detailed the circumstances surrounding Ms Ford’s passing, guests Kwasi Kwarteng and Jonathan Ashworth both agreed the death was “shocking” and “astonishing”.
“It wasn’t even a particularly bad one at the time,” Kate said of Ms Ford’s scratch. “It didn’t seem to be infected. Then two weeks ago she started to feel very unwell, and has now passed away.”
“Just awful, really,” the TV star added. She also reflected on how inoculation against rabies doesn’t seem to be brought up as often as in years past.
Rabies is something we don’t think about very much.
She went on: “It’s made people very conscious, because rabies is something we don’t think about very much.”
Kate’s ‘joke attempt’
Bobbing her head as if mocking a grandiose sense of importance, Kate light-heartedly referred to ‘doing a Dr Hilary Jones‘.
Addressing recommendations for how people can protect themselves, Kate went on: “What the doctors say – if I can do my Doctor Hilary for a bit – is make sure you get an inoculation. But also, if you have any kind of scratch, from any kind of wild animal or animal abroad, get treatments right away. Because then it can be stopped. It can be saved.”
However, this brief attempt at levity was savaged by some of those watching at home.
How viewers reacted
One furious watcher blasted Kate on X: “@GMB Is this a new trend for your presenters to be disrespectful to people that have just died? Lorraine Kelly about Kim Woodburn yesterday. Then Kate Garraway this morning just before 7 about the poor lady that’s just died after contacting rabies!”
Another user also complained: “@GMB Did Kate Garraway just make an attempted joke about rabies after talking about the sad death of the lady from Barnsley?”
Meanwhile a third took aim at her: “Classy Kate cracking a rabies joke just after reporting on a rabies death #GMB.”
To which another unhappy onlooker concurred: “Noticed that too – made me wince. So insensitive.”
Read more: Kate Garraway pleads for help amid fresh money troubles as she’s locked out of her accounts
Good Morning Britain airs weekdays on ITV from 6am.
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