GMB: Ed Balls quizzes Yvette Cooper on UK rioting
ITV boss Dame Carolyn McCall has waded in on the conversation after Good Morning Britain recieved over 8,000 complaints from viewers following Ed Balls interviewing his wife last month.
During the segment, Yvette Cooper spoke live to her husband Ed Balls and Kate Garraway about the attack in Southport. However, fans were left unimpressed and complained that Ed showed a personal bias towards his wife.
The interview later prompted over 8,000 Ofcom complaints, but an investigation will not be going forward. ITV chief executive Dame Carolyn McCall has now broken her silence over the segment.
According to The Sun, she said: "It was a very, very tricky morning, there was a national emergency almost being called, and so we got very short notice that the Home Secretary was coming on the show.
"She was doing a whole round, but it was unexpected, and we believe that it was fair and impartial, and actually Ofcom just ruled, but amazingly no one has picked up on the fact that Ofcom are not pursuing these complaints, because they believe it's fair, balanced and impartia.
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"So would we do it again? No. Was it impartial, fair and balanced? And did they behave professionally? Yes. I mean, he asked her a few questions, but I think Kate (Garraway) was leading on that wasn't she?
"And so I do think you've just got to say, if Ofcom have looked at it and they're not pursuing this any further because they thought it was fair balanced and impartial, you know, that's it."
An Ofcom spokesperson also said to The Sun: "We carefully considered complaints from viewers who objected to Ed Balls interviewing his wife, Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary.
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"Taking into account that their relationship was made clear twice, that a range of views about Labour's handling of the riots were included in the programme as a whole, and given the vast majority of the interview was conducted by co-presenter, Kate Garraway, we will not be pursuing further."
Many fans of the show took to X after the interview aired to voice their fury. One person said: "Watching The Home Secretary’s Husband , Ed Balls, shout down every guest daring to call these riots what they are, just before his Wife comes on for the most soft Ball Interview, is absolute insanity. How the f**k can this even be considered impartial reporting".
Another person chimed in: "I do feel like maybe the Home Secretary’s husband shouldn’t be involved in interviewing her on breakfast television, like I do think that’s fair to say."
