This Morning faced harsh backlash today from viewers after an “inappropriate” interview with a woman who watched her death row husband die — a conversation that also appeared to leave Cat Deeley visibly emotional.
During Monday’s show (May 18), Cat was joined by regular co-host Ben Shephard. During the first half of the two-hour-and-a-half programme, the pair welcomed guest Tiana Krasniqi, a Londoner who wed American prisoner James Broadnax in April.
James, who was imprisoned in 2008 after being accused of fatally shooting two music producers, was sentenced to death for the murders. He faced execution on April 30, just over two weeks after marrying Tiana, 31.
This Morning hosts Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard interview woman who watched her death row husband die
Tiana, 31, had only seen her future husband through a glass partition after the pair first connected in 2024, when she began researching racial inequality within the American justice system.
As part of her research, she contacted Broadnax, and the two quickly developed a close bond through emails before progressing to phone calls that reportedly lasted up to seven hours a day.
Last year, Tiana travelled to Houston, Texas, to meet Broadnax in person for the first time. She spent three months getting to know him before the couple decided to marry.
Following an appeal to postpone the execution, Tiana claimed there was evidence showing her husband “did not commit” the crime. She later described witnessing him receive the lethal injection.
Speaking to Ben and Cat about their wedding day, Tiana said that “what should have been 20 minutes”. However, they ended up “staying for 45 minutes”, explaining it was an “emotional” moment.
Tiana explained they wed with glass in between them as they were “not allowed to physically touch”. She insisted that it was “bittersweet because we knew what was looming before us”.
“He had typed his vows beforehand, he read his vows, that no matter what happens there’s life after death together. They were very deep vows, a lot of emotion, he was crying a lot and I was crying a lot. We were trying to not focus too much on what was looming and enjoy the moment, be in the moment, but at the same time it was not easy. After we got married, we couldn’t even enjoy saying that we’re husband and wife, because we went straight back to fighting for his life and those two weeks were quite crucial,” Tiana explained.
‘My brain couldn’t comprehend what my eyes were seeing’
Tiana said she had been fighting to delay her husband’s execution date, which was scheduled for April 30. She had also pushed for the case to be reopened and re-examined in the days before the sentence was carried out.
Despite holding multiple meetings and receiving more than 80,000 signatures from supporters backing their appeal, the newly married couple were ultimately dealt a rejection by the Supreme Court.
“You get called in to go into the prison, and you wait there until the phone rings when they say that he’s been, in other words, strapped in and the IV has been inserted in his veins. You have this long walk, it feels like you’re going through hospital corridors in the beginning, the door then opens, and they say to you: ‘Once you go in there, once the door is closed, you cannot come out until they declare him dead,'” she explained.
“It’s a small room, no chairs, you see him right in front of you, in front of a massive window, and in that moment, I screamed. My brain couldn’t comprehend what my eyes were seeing, it was a horrendous thing to ever see, not just because he’s my husband but in general, nobody should ever have to see anything like that.”
Tiana realised that James could hear her and was “consistently speaking back and forth throughout the whole thing”.
‘I only had about 20 minutes with him whilst his body was still warm’
Cat’s voice began to break as she fought back tears. She asked Tiana if, when it was over, she was able to hold him or be with him after never being able to touch each other before.
Tiana explained that before seeing her husband in her funeral home, she was able to. That said, she was told she “wasn’t allowed to touch him anywhere below [the neck] because the injection may leak and it’s dangerous to touch”.
She mentioned she was “surrounded by about 10 people”. She also said she “only had about 20 minutes with him whilst his body was still warm”.
Tiana revealed she was able to kiss James after he died. “He was very adamant that if we were going to kiss for the first time, it would be as his wife,” she said.
Tiana also said James had apologised to the families of the murdered victims. From here, she said she is going to take her legal career “more serious” to clear James’ name.
“There is enough evidence to clear his name,” she insisted. Tiana said she still has the fight in her to do so. However, Cat urged her to take care of herself.
‘A new low for ITV’
Viewers didn’t react lightly to the interview and immediately slammed This Morning.
“Why give her airtime? This is not the subject to be discussing at 10:30,” one user wrote on X.
“Well I guess marrying a murderer and then watching him die on death row is one way to get your 15 minutes,” another person shared.
“Not sure that subject was appropriate for a morning show. Way too much description of his execution,” a third insisted.
“Feeling sorry for double murderer’s new bride, a new low for ITV,” a fourth said.
“Why is Cat Deeley crying? She married a stranger,” a fifth questioned.
Meanwhile, another echoed: “Why put yourself through all that in the first place. You knew he was on death row. No matter how much you fought the system to prove his innocence, he obviously isn’t innocent. The poor families that have heard about this. Have you not thought about them? I have no sympathy to be honest, and am sure I’m not the only one! Poor you, panic attacks, not sleeping. What about the poor families who are the real victims.”
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