Robert Jenrick has broken his silence following his explosive hot-mic blunder during an appearance on Good Morning Britain earlier this week. On Wednesday morning (July 22), the Reform UK minister appeared on the ITV breakfast show. After a heated debate about the £5million gift Nigel Farage received from a cryptocurrency billionaire, the politician could be heard branding the interview a 'waste of time' off-camera.
The comment sparked an immediate response from the hosts on the show, who later took to X - formerly known as Twitter - to slam the politician online. Now, the 44-year-old has addressed the comments during an appearance on Jeremy Kyle's TalkTV breakfast show.
Jenrick Stands by His Words
He bluntly asked the MP: 'Why did you do it if it was a waste of time, Jenrick? And did you leave your mic on deliberately?' Mr Jenrick chuckled: 'It wasn't deliberate, but I do stand by those words; in fact, it's a good job it wasn't something stronger than that.'
'What a farce, by the way, that you're being interviewed by Ed Balls, a former Labour cabinet minister. Half his mates, including his own wife, are sitting around the cabinet table, and he's interviewing me about what's going on in British politics.'
Mr Jenrick concluded: 'He didn't ask me a single question about Reform's plans for the cost of living or the economy. And when I tried to say it, they cut me off. So I did think it was a bit of a waste of time, to be perfectly honest.'
Viewers React
It didn't take long before viewers flocked to X - formerly known as Twitter - to share their thoughts on his response online. One user penned: 'He's right. It is a farce. A former senior Labour figure, whose wife is now a sitting Labour minister, is positioned as an impartial interviewer on a major morning show. Bias like this undermines trust in our media and politics.'
Another agreed: 'Yes, it is a waste of time speaking to a cabinet minister's husband and an opinionated Susanna expecting a fair go.' A third chimed in with: 'I've heard more useful chat over a sticky table in the village than on that set.'
Clash Over £5million Gift
During the show, he clashed with presenters Ed Balls, a former Labour cabinet minister, and his co-host Susanna Reid over a £5million gift Nigel Farage received from a cryptocurrency billionaire. In the combative interview, Balls asked: 'You were reportedly warned a number of times that this was a breach of electoral law, hence this police investigation. What is the status of that police investigation? Are you cooperating? What do you think the outcome will be, and when will you know that stain on your reputation has been lifted?'
Mr Jenrick replied: 'There's no stain on my reputation, Ed. This is a complete smear that's been put about by the Tory party.' As the interview wrapped up and the cameras cut to a solo shot of the presenters in the studio, Jenrick was heard mumbling under his breath: 'Well, that was a waste of time'.
