Richard Madeley has called on celebrities who mocked the Princess of Wales over the Mother's Day photo editing scandal to apologise, following Kate's cancer diagnosis. Speaking on Good Morning Britain, the presenter said: "By all means have free speech, but if you get it horribly wrong, say sorry!" He added that anyone who has said something that has been "demonstrably found to be completely false" must apologise.
The plea comes after weeks of online speculation and jokes about Kate's whereabouts and the edited family photograph. Kim Kardashian and Blake Lively were among those who made light of the situation, with Kardashian posting on Instagram that she was "on my way to find her". Her social media page has since been flooded with comments requesting an apology, though she has not responded publicly.
Blake Lively, however, has retracted her comments, saying she is "mortified" by her mistake. Journalist Owen Jones also expressed regret, writing: "As someone who speculated on this without considering it could be a serious health condition, I’m very ashamed to be honest, and all the very best to her." Jones had earlier been critical of the Princess's public appearances, calling one sighting a "Kate Middleton truther express".
On GMB, a guest said that while trolls might be ignored, "when you have a platform, you have a responsibility, you have an obligation". She added that there was "a sense of entitlement" among the British public and that the royals have "no obligation to tell us" about Kate's health. The team noted that some celebrities had taken care to "share their regret for contributing to the Kate frenzy", with Madeley making clear his two-word response to those who had been cruel: "Say sorry!"
