Ed Balls and Susanna Reid returned to the Good Morning Britain studio on Tuesday, September 1, after their summer break, and viewers were quick to comment on Ed's new look.
The hosts discussed the early prison release scheme and interviewed residents who fought to save a local wildlife haven over the Bank Holiday weekend. They also revealed that a jury found Duane "Keffe D" Davis guilty of orchestrating the 1996 murder of rapper Tupac Shakur, reaching its verdict in less than three hours. Davis is the only person ever charged over the fatal Las Vegas shooting.
Reaction to Ed's new look
As she returned to the show, Susanna began: "Good Morning Britain, it's just gone 6 o'clock, and it's good to be back. I have my clothes back on after a summer trip to Ibiza." She then turned to her co-star, who was sporting a goatee, and said: "But who are you and what have you done with Ed Balls?!" Ed replied: "Well, it is the same me."
Susanna continued: "But you look completely different!" Ed was visibly surprised by this admission, as Susanna went on: "The goatee adds a certain je ne sais quoi. I would say it takes 10 years off you." Weather presenter Alex Beresford agreed: "I'm loving the goatee. I think it really suits you and are they new glasses as well? I love this whole new look that you've got going on."
Viewers share their thoughts
Ed joked that he had been modelling himself on Alex, adding that he was "all the same" despite the goatee. Distracted viewers were quick to share their thoughts on Ed's new look across social media. "Omg what the hell does Ed look like," one person wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter). Another asked: "What has [Ed] got on his chin?" while a third said: "What's with [Ed] and his new look?"
Susanna later took to Instagram to post a selfie of herself and Ed back in the GMB studio. She wrote: "BACK! In the studio - but who is this and what has he done with @edballs?! @gmb." The comments section was flooded with responses from avid viewers, who were delighted to see the hosts return. "Welcome back [to] you both," one person wrote. Another added: "Have a great show!" while a third said: "[Ed's] looking good." A fourth fan echoed the sentiment, saying: "Yayyyy, you're back."
Good Morning Britain airs weekdays on ITV1 and ITVX at 6am.
