ITV’s breakfast news show GMB was flooded with more than 8,000 complaints to watchdog Ofcom following a controversial interview aired back in August 2024.
The objections were lodged after an episode that included a segment featuring co-host Ed Balls and the then-Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, who are married.
Additionally, a number of the complaints about another episode that same month are also said to concern words exchanged between ex Labour MP Ed and MP Zarah Sultana.
Ed Balls on GMB
Yvette appeared on the programme to condemn the “criminal violence and thuggery” playing out in far right riots across the UK at the time.
But some GMB fans were concerned about the “farce” of the politician having questions put to her by her husband.
“That’s a cozy little chat between spouses,” one viewer said of the item covering the civil unrest response.
“Appalling show nowadays with presenters who are so full of their own selfish interests and ego. How can Ed Balls be allowed to interview his own wife in a crisis?!?!” another moaned on social media.
Meanwhile, Ed and co-host Kate Garraway also had a irritable discussion with MP Zarah, who said rioters should be labelled “Islamophobic” and “racist”.
Zarah Sultana on GMB
“In Stockport, a mosque was targeted,” she reasoned. “Bricks were thrown, people who were in the mosque were locked down, feared for their lives.”
Furthermore, Zarah went on to question whether the presenters felt discussions around immigration hadn’t influenced the unrest.
“The language they are using, saying ‘stop the boats’. Telling people like me ‘to go home’. If we look at the language used by politicians, and these people, you will see a direct correlation,” she said.
Ed clashed with Zarah during the debate and repeatedly interrupted her. At one point, he said: “You’ve moved from attacking Andrew [Pierce] to attacking me, so let me have a go. What you can’t do it just spray out attacks on all of us and then not have any comeback.”
‘I’ve received extremely racist abuse online, death threats, rape threats. The language we are seeing on the streets at the moment I’ve had in my inbox, letters and on social media’
Zarah Sultana MP says that social media is ‘fanning the flames’ and is a ‘very concerning area’. pic.twitter.com/9L6amcKUc1
— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) August 5, 2024
Following the discussion, viewers hit out on X. One person said: “Can’t believe you’ve got Ed Balls back after his appalling conduct during the interview with Zarah Sultana.”
Underneath a video of the debate, someone else wrote: “Ed Balls is just appalling.”
Ofcom response
At the time, following the episode, an ITV spokesperson 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.
“[These] included James Cleverly, Shadow Home Secretary and Yvette Cooper, Home Secretary. We are satisfied that these interviews were balanced, fair and duly impartial.”
We are satisfied that these interviews were balanced, fair and duly impartial.
Furthermore, a representative for Ofcom told ED!: “We are assessing the complaints against our broadcasting rules but are yet to decide whether or not to investigate.”
ED! has also approached Good Morning Britain for comment at the time.
Read more: Kate Garraway under fire for ‘awful’ interview on GMB as viewers demand ‘get rid!’
Good Morning Britain airs weekdays on ITV from 6am.
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