BBC Morning Live presenters Holly Hamilton and Gethin Jones opened Wednesday's show (October 21) with a warning that 1.9 million tumble dryers in British homes could contain potentially fatal defects. The alert follows a coroner's warning after a house fire that killed a father and his nine-year-old daughter.
Presenters urge viewers to check recall list
Holly Hamilton said: "We're going to start with a really worrying headline. I was looking into this myself. It's going to make a lot of families sit up and pay attention. I personally was looking this up this morning, I've got a tumble dryer, a lot of people will be doing the same."
The programme featured specialist Colletta Smith, who described the incident earlier this year as a "sad tragedy" before detailing the inquest. She said: "The coroner there ruled that it was more than likely that the fire was caused by the tumble dryer in the home. In April, there was another urgent product recall for higher heat pump tumble dryers, which includes a full list."
Advice for affected households
Hamilton urged viewers to "really pay attention" if their tumble dryer brand appears on the recall list, which she said would be available on the Morning Live website. She added: "First thing to check is whether your model number and serial number are one of the ones impacted."
Smith explained that affected customers should contact the manufacturer directly to register for a modification programme. She issued a stark warning: "In the meantime, don't use the appliance until that repair has been completed."
Government recall advice, reported by WalesOnline, suggests removing the plug from the wall socket if accessible. Smith said: "It's really worrying, you hear this and a really stark reminder and a tragic reminder of how important this is."
The specialist emphasised that even if a tumble dryer is not on the list, it should never be left running overnight while the household is asleep. Morning Live continues weekdays on BBC One from 9:30am.
