A fierce debate about the UK's upcoming budget on Good Morning Britain was abruptly cut short on Wednesday, 26th November 2025, when presenter Susanna Reid received devastating breaking news.
Heated Budget Exchange Interrupted
The programme's panel was deeply engaged in a discussion about a "smorgasbord" of anticipated tax rises. Susanna Reid was visibly growing frustrated with what she described as the vague "semantics" being used to discuss the financial plans, and the conversation was rapidly descending into a heated argument.
However, the budget talk was swiftly shelved as urgent news arrived in the studio. Susanna Reid was forced to interrupt her guests to deliver a sombre update to viewers.
Devastating News from Hong Kong
"We've got some news coming out of Hong Kong," Susanna began, her tone shifting immediately. "Where a fire is engulfing a residential building."
As live footage began to play, showing the building consumed by flames, Susanna struggled to contain her emotion. "Wow, goodness me, these are live pictures," she said. "They bring back awful memories, don't they?"
The presenter did not hesitate to draw a direct and painful parallel for the British audience, noting that several people were reported trapped inside the Hong Kong building, much like the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017.
Echoes of a National Tragedy
The Grenfell Tower disaster, which resulted in 72 deaths, remains a profound national tragedy. A public inquiry into the fire concluded in February 2025, finding a chain of failures across government and the private sector had turned the tower into a "death trap".
The inquiry revealed that combustible cladding and insulation, which had failed safety tests, were key factors. Furthermore, during a refurbishment, the windows were made an insufficient size, necessitating larger surrounds made of materials that were less resistant to heat, allowing the fire to spread more easily.
On GMB, Susanna described seeing "plumes of grey smoke" from the Hong Kong building and confirmed that local fire services were "battling" to control the blaze and rescue those inside.
Guest Kevin Maguire, who had been discussing the budget moments before, echoed the sombre mood, stating: "You've just got to hope that there are lots of exits and that the outside windows have been fitted properly so unlike Grenfell, the fire can't go outside."
Following the difficult segment, the programme eventually returned to its scheduled discussion on the budget, where Andrew Pierce speculated that Chancellor Rachel Reeves could face being sacked following the budget's announcement.
