Viewers of ITV's Good Morning Britain have threatened to report the show to the broadcasting regulator Ofcom following an interview on Thursday's programme that many deemed unacceptably biased.
Budget Interview Sparks Backlash
The controversy erupted during the 27th November 2025 broadcast, which was presented by Susanna Reid and Ed Balls. The hosts were conducting a live video interview with Labour's Chancellor Rachel Reeves from Coventry, discussing the details of her Autumn Statement delivered to the House of Commons the previous afternoon.
However, it was the line of questioning from Ed Balls, a former Labour MP and Shadow Chancellor himself, that quickly drew the ire of the audience. Viewers took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) in droves to voice their dissatisfaction with his perceived partiality.
Viewers Cry Foul Over Perceived Bias
One frustrated viewer directly referenced the media watchdog, posting: "Ed Balls should not be on #gmb too close to Labour and his previous role with them. #ofcom this is unacceptable."
Another comment highlighted a specific moment, stating: "I like Ed Balls, but he literally just said to Rachel Reeves, great Budget, just shame it was leaked. If that's not biased broadcasting, I'm not sure what is!"
The criticism intensified as viewers pointed to Balls' personal connections. One person commented on the conflict of interest, noting: "#GMB Ed Balls should not be interviewing his wife's colleague, who she sat next to on the front bench yesterday; he is an ex-Labour Chancellor and is pro-Reeves agenda. He's biased." This was a reference to Balls' wife, Yvette Cooper, who is a senior Labour MP.
A History of Controversial Interviews
This is not the first time Ed Balls' interviewing style has landed Good Morning Britain in hot water. The article references a previous incident from last year where he interviewed his own wife, then Home Secretary Yvette Cooper.
That episode prompted a significant public response, with over 16,000 complaints being lodged with Ofcom. The complaints concerned two interviews from the same show: the one with Cooper and another with Coventry South MP Zarah Sultana.
Despite the high volume of complaints, the watchdog ultimately decided not to launch a formal investigation. ITV stood by its presenter at the time, releasing a statement maintaining that the interview was 'fair and impartial'.
Dame Carolyn McCall, Chief Executive of ITV, later reflected on the situation, saying, "Would we do it again? No. Was it impartial, fair and balanced? And did they behave professionally? Yes." She concluded by noting that since Ofcom did not pursue the matter further, the issue was considered closed.
Whether the current wave of viewer discontent over the Rachel Reeves interview will lead to another wave of official complaints remains to be seen.
