Good Morning Britain has been caught in another bias row following Robert Jenrick's hot mic moment earlier this week. The Reform MP declared his conversation with Ed Balls and Susanna Reid "a waste of time", to which they disagreed with on air. Jenrick later discussed his comment with Jeremy Kyle, saying he stands by what he said.
Guest refuses to appear
Lucy Connolly, who was jailed for stirring up racial hatred against asylum seekers, replied to Jenrick's comments as she said: "He's right though! I was supposed to go on GMB last Friday. They cancelled on me and asked me to go on Weds instead with Susanna and Ed!! I bailed. I don't want to sit on a sofa with a woman that told the nation that I and other criminals make her shudder. @susannareid100. It's completely pointless trying to have a conversation with the likes of her or @LBC or the BBC. Their left wing bias is off the scale."
Jenrick defends comments
Jenrick had said of his comment on GMB: "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
The interview sparked fury from viewers, as one user said: "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."
GMB has come under fire in recent weeks, with viewers accusing the show of left-wing bias following Andy Burnham being made Prime Minister. As they welcomed Health Secretary and Balls' wife, Yvette Cooper, on the show, he was forced to step away once again. He has also previously dodged conversations regarding the Labour cabinet due to his wife's position. GMB airs weekdays at 6am on ITV1.
