Former Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls has taken aim at Good Morning Britain (GMB), accusing the ITV breakfast show of subjecting politicians to 'unfair' and overly aggressive interviews. The ex-Labour MP, now a familiar face on morning TV himself, claimed the programme often fails to give elected officials a fair chance to explain their positions.
A Heated Exchange on Morning TV
Balls, who served as Shadow Chancellor from 2011 to 2015, made his comments during a discussion about media treatment of politicians. 'There's a difference between robust questioning and simply not letting someone speak,' he argued. 'Viewers deserve to hear proper answers, not just presenters scoring points.'
The Impartiality Debate Reignited
The remarks have reignited the ongoing debate about balance in British broadcast journalism. While some viewers applaud tough interviews that hold power to account, others argue certain programmes cross the line into bias. GMB has frequently found itself at the centre of this controversy, particularly with its combative approach to political interviews.
Balls, who now appears regularly as an economics commentator on various BBC programmes, stopped short of naming specific presenters but insisted: 'There's a responsibility to be fair, even when you disagree.'
How Other Politicians Have Reacted
The comments have drawn mixed reactions from Westminster:
- Some backbench MPs have privately welcomed Balls' intervention
- Media commentators remain divided on where to draw the line
- ITV has defended GMB's record on balanced reporting
This isn't the first time GMB's interviewing style has made headlines. The programme's hosts, including Susanna Reid and Richard Madeley, have built reputations for their no-holds-barred approach to political interviews.
