Adil Ray says they were divided over former EDL member interview
Good Morning Britain's Adil Ray has openly expressed his reservations about featuring a controversial guest on the ITV morning show.
While co-hosting with Ranvir Singh, Adil gave viewers a sneak peek into the upcoming segments of the show.
However, when it came to introducing a segment with former far-right campaigner Ivan Humble after the commercial break, Adil confessed the team was divided over the decision. He candidly shared their uncertainty about whether it was appropriate to engage in conversation with Ivan Humble amidst the recent unrest across the UK.
Adil said: "When we discussed having him on the show, I was in two minds. We were all in two minds."
Ivan, once associated with the English Defence League and an acquaintance of notorious far-right figure Tommy Robinson, has since made a dramatic shift. He now dedicates himself to anti-hate advocacy, actively working against radicalisation and extremism within the UK.
Having left the EDL, Ivan focuses on mending fractured societal bonds and persuading others to follow his lead away from hate-fuelled ideologies, reports the Mirror.
Committed to seeing individuals beyond stereotypes, Ivan is outspoken about the perils of far-right extremism. Demonstrating his commitment, the community activist previously organised an event at Peterborough Mosque to honour Jo Cox as part of the Great Get Together initiative.
Appearing on the show via video link, Adil and Ranvir engaged in conversation with Ivan's friend Amir. When questioned about Ivan's reasons for joining a far-right faction, Amir disclosed that Ivan was "angry" about certain issues.
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Amir explained: "Simply because nobody gave me another option to at that time."
He further elaborated: "I was doing some charity work for the First Battalion and they were all angry and I also got angry - had an opinion."
As Ivan appeared on the ITV programme, viewers took to social media to express their opinions. A particular comment from one viewer read: "Listening to an ex-EDL member and his Muslim friend on #GMB makes me think that racists will only change their views if they have opportunities to get to know people of colour. They need to realise we've more in common. Q is how can we facilitate without force?"
