Good Morning Britain presenters Kate Garraway and Ranvir Singh were visibly moved during a live interview on Friday, July 3, as guest Ann Keen recounted her traumatic experience of forced adoption in the 1960s. An estimated 185,000 infants were removed from mothers in the three decades following World War Two, and thousands of unmarried mothers faced pressure to give up their babies.
Government Apology Read On Air
Before introducing Ann, Kate Garraway commented: "It's absolutely heartbreaking. This happened to a friend of mine actually, and it's devastating." Ranvir Singh then read a portion of the government's apology to affected mothers: "The shame was never yours, the shame is ours."
Ann Keen's Harrowing Account
Ann, who was 17 when she gave birth, described being treated "like we were sinners" and having "no rights or responsibility for anything." Ranvir noted that during childbirth, the midwife told Ann this was her punishment, and she was denied pain relief. Ann said: "I was asking for some pain control and they said, 'No, you're not having any pain control because you don't deserve any. You're a bad girl.' I was being stitched without any anesthetic. When I moved, the doctor slapped my leg to say, 'Don't move! You shouldn't be moving!'"
Separation From Son
Kate and Ranvir were left speechless as Ann recalled being separated from her newborn son, who was "waiting for his new mummy." A nurse grabbed Ann's breast and said: "You won't be needing this milk. Let's get rid of this now." Ranvir described this as "like an assault." Kate reassured Ann that she hadn't given up her child but had been "forced to."
Reunion and Viewer Reaction
Ann has since reunited with her son, Mark, who immediately told her she had done nothing wrong. Viewers expressed outrage on social media, with one calling it "barbaric" and another saying "these poor women having their babies forcibly taken from them and being treated like scum." Good Morning Britain airs weekdays on ITV1 and ITVX at 6am. For support, contact FamilyConnect at 0300 1800 205.
