Dermot O'Leary says 'you're a stirrer' as he steps in to stem fiery This Morning debate

Dermot O'Leary had to jump into action to calm things down on This Morning after a fiery debate erupted.

During Thursday's show (July 25), presenters Alison Hammond and the ex-X Factor host were in discussion with Nick Ferrari, Ashley James, and Martin Lewis about the soaring shoplifting figures in Britain.

The Money Saving Expert and the LBC broadcaster were at loggerheads over the issue, with Martin strongly advocating for more government intervention to help impoverished families.

While Nick acknowledged that some individuals might be pilfering out of sheer necessity, he staunchly refused to justify or accept theft.

Live on-air, the disagreement escalated, prompting both Dermot and Alison to intervene swiftly to steer the show forward as tensions rose and voices were raised, reports the Mirror.

After the dust settled, Nick couldn't resist provoking Martin again by making a snide remark related to their earlier dispute. The conversation had since shifted to the importance of saving cash in the UK.

Ashley was recounting an incident where her cash was declined when she tried to buy a coffee, leading Nick to interject with: "So she stole it."

"Let's not go back to that conversation again," Ashley retorted, while Dermot jumped in to defend: "Ohh Nick, you're a stirrer."

Last week, Martin's segment on the show was abruptly cut short due to technical issues in the studio. Dermot O'Leary began with a hiccup, saying: "We'll be speaking to Eileen."

He then queried, "Do we have Eileen," before telling viewers, "Sadly, not no." Alison Hammond attempted to help, interjecting: "Let's have a look, the phone in... on air... Tina."

Dermot corrected her: "Nope, that's yesterday, her sister isn't coming to her wedding," as they had to end the segment prematurely.

This Morning airs weekdays on ITV from 10am.