Good Morning Britain host Susanna Reid has defended Rylan Clark after he faced backlash for comments on illegal immigration made during an appearance on This Morning. During Tuesday's episode of GMB, Reid clashed with Daily Mirror associate editor Kevin Maguire, who accused Clark of 'regurgitating terrible myths' about immigration.
Reid countered Maguire's remarks, stating that Clark had acknowledged the UK is 'built on immigration' and expressed gratitude to migrants working in the NHS who helped his mother. She argued that Clark's concern about border control was legitimate, saying: 'It is the duty of government... that we control borders and we do not just welcome everybody if we don't know who they are.'
Maguire insisted that Clark had repeated 'myths and lies' that had 'gone mainstream', but Reid concluded: 'I just think that to say that what Rylan said was outrageous, regurgitating propaganda [was wrong].' The exchange drew mixed reactions on social media, with some praising Reid and others backing Maguire.
Clark had previously addressed the controversy in a statement, saying: 'You can be pro-immigration and against illegal routes... Stop with this putting everyone in a box exercise and maybe have conversations instead of shouting on Twitter.'
