Good Morning Britain viewers have blasted a 'car crash' interview with Lee Anderson. The Reform MP, speaking live from Calais, joined Richard Madeley and Charlotte Hawkins on Wednesday, August 5. Anderson was defending his party's plan to use the navy to return small boats in the English Channel to France, despite France rejecting the notion.
However, moments into the interview, he clashed with the presenters, prompting viewers to claim it was “hard to watch”. After an interview with Zia Yusuf days ago, Madeley asked Anderson about Reform UK's plans and the response from France, asking whether his party had behaved “responsibly” in its own reaction.
Clash over France's response
Anderson hit back: “I think what a responsible TV presenter would do, Richard, is actually watch the programme from the other day. At no point did Yusuf say we would turn the boats back. He said they would be rescued in the sea, collected, put on our boats and taken back to France.
“It's people in the mainstream media like yourself and the journalists we've got out here that think for some reason that we can't do that.” Madeley replied: “It's great to take a couple of punches from you, but you didn't answer the question.”
The interview continued to descend into chaos as the guest spoke over the presenters, insisting he was answering the questions. Anderson then clashed with Hawkins as she reiterated the response from France, before he hit out: “I think we're not going to agree on this, guys.”
Viewers react
“We're telling you what the French government are saying,” Hawkins repeated, insisting, “It's not a workable policy without the French government.” Anderson reiterated his stance, saying: “It will work and it will save lives.”
They continued to speak over each other, with Anderson interrupting and claiming his constituents were “fed up”, though failing to actually respond to the French government's statement, but instead saying: “I've said it ten times now, we don't know until we've tried it.”
Viewers were left slamming the “car crash” interview, as one person said: “Never mind this, what an absolute car crash of an interview this morning with Lee Anderson on GMB.” Another said: “Never mind this, what an absolute car crash of an interview this morning with Lee Anderson on GMB.”
Someone else wrote: “Lee Anderson is having an absolute nightmare on @GMB.” Yet another added: “Absolute car crash interview with Lee Anderson on @GMB.” “Jesus wept, Lee Anderson on GMB this morning!” someone else commented. “When you're in a hole, stop digging, Lee,” another added.
However, others took a different view, and one wrote: “Hard to watch. Just attacking Lee.” As one person wrote: “Just watched @LeeAndersonMP_ on @GMB Lee spoke well when allowed by the presenters,” another replied by saying: “Did you watch a different interview to me…”
Good Morning Britain airs weekdays from 6am on ITV1 and ITVX.
