BBC Breakfast viewers expressed their frustration with Jon Kay over his choice of question during an interview on Wednesday's (July 15) programme. The presenter, 56, fronted the morning show with Sally Nugent, delivering the latest headlines with viewers across the country.
Government Warning on Alcohol Abroad
During the programme, the pair announced that the government is warning people travelling abroad about the potential dangers of drinking alcohol. It comes after methanol poisoning has caused a number of deaths and serious illnesses in the past few years.
They were joined by Margaret McKie, whose daughter Kirsty died from alcohol poisoning, and Calum MacDonald, who lost his eyesight after drinking contaminated alcohol in Laos while travelling across Southeast Asia in 2024. Calum recalled having an alcoholic drink at a hotel bar in Laos, revealing his sight was gone within 24 to 48 hours later.
Question Sparks Fury
Jon then asked: "And how is that drink affecting your life today?" Calum explained how it has turned his life upside down, saying: "It affects every aspect of my life. The way I have to go about doing mundane tasks has completely changed. The way I have to perceive and understand the world and my perspective has totally changed. That all began with that drink."
Viewers criticised the presenter for asking that question, especially since the drink had caused Calum to go completely blind.
Viewer Backlash on Social Media
Taking to X, one wrote: "I lost my eyesight - and how is that drink affecting your life today? FFS what an idiotic question #bbcbreakfast."
Another responded: "If there’s something stupid to say he’s the very one to say it!" Hitting out at the presenter, another said: "Jon, he just told you he lost his sight, and then you ask him how the drink affected his life. What a dumb question."
A fourth raged: "It's like these questions are scripted in advance and he either doesn't really listen to what's being said or he's just unable to deviate from what's written on his crib sheet. Pathetic journalism."
Opening up about his ordeal, Calum admitted he was not aware that there was a possibility that his drink was not safe to consume. "We'd spoken to a number of other people across our travelling route and it had never come up in conversation with anyone else. I think it's something that is not well known," he added.
