Good Morning Britain star Ed Balls has been accused of bias after his wife, Health Secretary Yvette Cooper, was spotted in a viral clip of Wes Streeting and Shabana Mahmood. The footage, which leaked hours before Wednesday's (22 July) GMB episode, shows the ministers joking about Labour's early release prison scheme. Viewers noted that Cooper was visible in the shot, though not directly involved.
Social media backlash
On X, one user wrote: "@GMB why not mention that Mrs Ed Balls i.e. @YvetteCooperMP is on the video of @wesstreeting at No10. Disgraceful how you don't mention it and again biased reporting supporting @edballs." Another remarked: "@GMB Surreal that they're talking about ministers caught on camera laughing about an early release scheme and Ed Balls' wife is in the shot." A third added: "Bit awkward for Ed Balls this morning. Maybe they should have replaced him."
History of impartiality concerns
Ed Balls, a former Labour MP and long-time friend of Prime Minister Andy Burnham, has faced repeated criticism over his impartiality on ITV's breakfast show. Earlier this month, ITV was embroiled in another bias row after Balls and co-host Susanna Reid announced that Yvette Cooper would appear on the programme. Reid said: "Up next, Foreign Secretary, Yvette Cooper, Ed's wife, of course, is the interview going to be taking place in just a moment." Balls joked: "I'm going to sit that one out," having previously received thousands of Ofcom complaints for interviewing Cooper.
Viewer outrage
Viewers voiced frustrations on social media. One fumed: "It's a biased Labour show with a bit of pillow talk thrown in." Another mused: "People might think that having the husband of the foreign secretary co-presenting an ITN-produced breakfast television show raises all sorts of questions. Not #GMB though! They think it's something to laugh about."
