Good Morning Britain gets 2,000 Ofcom complaints after debate on 'ditching unvaccinated friends'
Good Morning Britain has come under fire from 2,000 viewers who complained to Ofcom over its debate on 'ditching unvaccinated friends'.
Good Morning Britain has come under fire from 2,000 viewers who complained to Ofcom for the way it dealt with a debate on 'ditching unvaccinated friends'.
Viewers who tuned in to the ITV daytime show were left angered after the debate turned into a row between Adil Ray and Dominique Samuels and Nick Hewer.
The presenter and guests had been discussing whether it was acceptable to cut off your friends if they refuse to have the Covid vaccine but the topic turned into a row, and some viewers branded it "divisive".
Ofcom has confirmed that the majority of the complaints about Good Morning Britain objected to negative references to unvaccinated people and a poll on the theme 'time to ditch unvaccinated friends?'
For anyone who missed the show, Nick, 77, admitted he was concerned about inviting a friend to a dinner party if she had not had the Covid-19 vaccine.
But guest Dominique said this was "controlling" and "segregating".
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She said, "I just think it quite frankly reeks of middle-class snobbery, 'I'm having a dinner party but shan't invite the unvaccinated'. I think that most people will be worrying about clawing their businesses and their mental health back from the depths of hell. Not whether or not they are going to segregate someone from a dinner party."
But Adil hit back, "Dominique, it doesn't seem to be a middle-class thing - this virus doesn't discriminate. You have a responsibility, don't you? To be quite open and honest in these situations."
But Dominique replied, "I think you just don't need to be psychotic and try to control people's life choices…You can't be extreme; nothing I have said there is psychotic - what is psychotic about caring for people around you? How does that make me psychotic?"
Dominique replied, "It's not caring, it's malevolent; it's psychotic and controlling."
It comes just days after ITV's This Morning was hit with Ofcom complaints about a Covid vaccine row.
And viewers have taken to Twitter to express their views, one wrote, 'Talk about creating hatred and divide, how are @GMB allowed to push this nonsense, shall we unfriend all those that don’t have the flu vaccine too?'
But another disagreed, 'If they are your true friends then they would anything to protect you. The thought of be called psychotic because of this makes me angry. #GMB'
Selina is a Senior Family Writer for GoodtoKnow and has more than 16 years years of experience. She specialises in royal family news, including the latest activities of Prince George, Charlotte, Louis, Archie and Lilibet. She also covers the latest government, health and charity advice for families. Selina graduated from the University of Sheffield in 2006 with a degree in Journalism, and gained her NCTJ and NCE qualifications. During her career, she’s also written for Woman, Woman's Own, Woman&Home, and Woman's Weekly as well as Heat magazine, Bang Showbiz - and the Scunthorpe Telegraph. When she's not covering family news, you can find her exploring new countryside walking routes, catching up with friends over good food, or making memories (including award-winning scarecrows!)
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