Susanna Reid has announced that she and co-host Ed Balls will be taking a lengthy break from Good Morning Britain, starting immediately and lasting until September. The pair are going on their summer leave, with temporary replacements set to fill in.
Reid, 55, shared a photo on Instagram showing herself in slippers at the studio, captioning it: "SHOES OFF, OUT OF OFFICE ON! Time for my summer break." She also revealed that director Stuart Earl is leaving the programme after a decade, writing: "Time to say goodbye to our wonderful Director @stuearl who has been the champion of this programme for a decade. Thank you for everything Stuart."
Dig at Robert Jenrick
In a pointed remark aimed at Reform UK politician Robert Jenrick, Reid added: "@edballs and I will be back September 1st after our travels. THANK YOU to our amazing viewers for watching and for contacting us and sharing your views - never a 'waste of time' being on this brilliant programme."
The comment references an incident earlier that morning, when Jenrick was caught in a hot mic moment after a tense interview with Reid and Balls. The Reform UK Treasury spokesman was heard saying "Well, that was a waste of time" while still on air.
The interview clash
During the interview, Balls questioned Jenrick about a £5 million gift received by Nigel Farage from a cryptocurrency billionaire, asking about a police investigation. Jenrick dismissed the matter as a "complete smear" by the Conservative Party.
As the segment ended, Balls thanked Jenrick, but the politician's off-mic remark was picked up. Balls responded on air: "I think it wasn't a waste of time. I think Robert Jenrick gave us very clear answers on the police investigation."
