Good Morning Britain viewers were less than impressed on Monday (August 17) when presenters Richard Madeley and Ranvir Singh replayed the sound of the emergency alert that was sent to millions of mobile phones on Friday evening.
The alert, which came with a loud siren and a 'severe alert' notification, warned of a 'very high risk of wildfires' and advised against activities that could start a fire, including disposable barbecues, campfires and fireworks.
Viewers react to replay during the show
When the programme played the alert sound in the studio, several viewers took to X to complain. One person wrote: "@GMB stop playing the phone alert your totally scaring my dogs!!! They hate it."
Another begged the show to 'please stop replaying Friday's alert', saying it was upsetting and startling people and pets, and could 'desensitise' the nation, calling it 'irresponsible'. Others said the show needed to 'get a grip', while one viewer called it a 'massive overreaction' and noted there is an option to switch the alert off.
Mixed reactions to the alert itself
However, one person praised the alert as a 'very practical modern way to get the information out to the public'. During the discussion, Richard Madeley admitted his first thought on hearing the alert was 'My God, has Putin pressed the button?'
Former Conservative chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng, who was on a train when the alert went off, said reactions among passengers were mixed. While some 'took it very seriously', others thought it was 'completely irrelevant' and switched it off.
He stressed that the government must exercise caution in how it deploys the alert system in future, to prevent the public from becoming desensitised to it. Good Morning Britain airs on ITV weekdays from 6am.
