Two Good Morning Britain stars found themselves in a tense clash live on air on Monday
Susanna Reid returned to screens on Monday(Image: ITV)
Emotions ran high during the latest episode of Good Morning Britain.
Hosts Susanna Reid and Ed Balls returned to the ITV studios on Monday (November 2) to present another instalment of the hit news programme. They were soon joined by regular commentators Kevin Maguire and Gillian Keegan to discuss some of the day’s biggest headlines.
They notably spoke about the tragic death of Henry Nowak, before turning their attention to the King’s Caribbean tour. “He is to speak with unflinching honesty and sincere sorrow on the lasting pain of the transatlantic slave trade. He’s going to address Commonwealth leaders tomorrow,” Susanna began.
“The backdrop is that the prime minister has already said that he’s open to the possibility of the UK formally apologising for our role in the slave trade. And possibly, maybe not reparations, Kevin, but some kind of aid package.”
“The fact that he hasn’t apologised or said sorry is a stain on Britain, because it is a gruesome part of our country’s past,” Kevin replied. Ed noted: “Tony Blair, David Cameron, Rishi Sunak, they’ve come close. They’ve always feared that if you go to, not just regret or sorrow, but to apology, then the question immediately becomes, ‘So, what are you going to do about it?'”
Gillian then said: “I think Andy Burnham has actually been irresponsible. The King is out there on a diplomatic mission, and he is out there having to carefully tread this line, and there’s no doubt about it, he will have to carefully tread this line. And they will have thought long and hard about it. And here [Andy Burnham] is over in the UK, opening his big mouth not once, but twice. Twice he’s doubled down.”
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Kevin quickly hit back at his co-star, saying: “Was Tony Blair wrong to apologise for the potato famine and the role of the UK?” Gillian replied: “To be honest, I don’t have a strong view one way or the other.”
Kevin repeatedly asked Gillian: “Was he? Was he? Was he wrong? Yes or no? But you know about the Caribbean and black people there who are enslaved from Africa. You know about that, but not about all these white Irish people.”
Susanna soon stepped in, saying: “Hang on, Kevin. Let Gillian respond.” Gillian went on: “What is the point of an apology that is slightly meaningless?”
As Kevin continued to hit back, Gillian responded: “You do this every time. Nobody condones any part of the slave trade at all,” before Kevin simply replied: “So, why don’t you confront it? Instead of running away.”
Viewers were quick to share their frustration after watching the tense segment. One person wrote on X: “This is unlistenable with them shouting over each other.”
Another added: “The f****** noise. Utter s**** TV.” A third said: “Switching this off.” Someone else commented: “Stop talking over everyone!” Meanwhile, someone else defended Kevin, saying: “Go @Kevin_Maguire. Your comments on #Slavery are spot on.”
Good Morning Britain airs weekdays on ITV1 and ITVX at 6am