Jonathan Ashworth calls out Ed Balls on Good Morning Britain
Ed Balls found himself in a slightly awkward moment on Thursday's Good Morning Britain when he came under fire by one guest.
In the studio, Ed and his colleague Kate Garraway were discussing current affairs with ex-MPs Jon Ashworth and Kwasi Kwarteng, focusing particularly on the recent state of unrest.
Ed, never one to shy away from contentious topics, pointed out that Jon had been ousted from his position as an MP.
He said: "You were talking, Jonathan there, about talking to people in your old constituency, of course in Leicester South, you lost the seat to an independent who was motivated by a different concern about mainstream politics and what was happening."
He further added, "Where, actually, they would see Rishi Sunak, then the Prime Minister, and Keir Starmer as on the same side and against their views."
Taken aback by Ed's blunt reference to his electoral defeat, Jon quipped back: "Yeah, well thanks for reminding me I lost my seat! That was a right kick in the- losses," reports the Mirror.
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Amidst laughter from Kate and other panel members, Ed jumped in to explain his bold comment, saying: "Can I just say, I'm the only person who can remind you of it. You know, been there done it, got the T-shirt."
However, rather than escalating, the mood stayed light as Jonathan humorously acknowledged Ed's own past election loss, retorting: "Yeah, we've been there together, join the club."
Discussing the loss of his seat, the ex-MP pointed out that it was due to the global issue surrounding Gaza.
He said: "A large proportion of my constituents. former constituents, wanted to send a message to the Labour Party, Kier Starmer, over it's stance on Gaza. It's obviously, very disappointing."
However, he argued that the current Labour government is pursuing policies that his old constituency feels strongly about.
Jonathan's criticism of the GMB star on the show follows a whopping 8,200 Ofcom complaints against the ITV programme.
Viewers took issue with Monday's episode, accusing it of a conflict of interest.
This came after host Ed Balls interviewed his wife and current Home Secretary Yvette Cooper.
Complaints were also made about how both Ed and Kate questioned Labour MP Zarah Sultana.
An Ofcom spokesperson stated: "We are assessing the complaints against our broadcasting rules but are yet to decide whether or not to investigate."
Good Morning Britain continues weekdays on ITV from 6am.
