GMB gets Ofcom complaints over Richard Madeley’s clash with president of Guyana
The pair discussed whether the UK should pay slavery reparations
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Good Morning Britain has been hit with more than 300 complaints over Richard Madeley’s discussion with the president of Guyana about slavery reparations.
Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali was on the ITV programme on 20 September and said that the UK still benefits from its role in slavery.
Things got heated during the interview, with Madeley at one point slapping the table as they talked.
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Broadcasting watchdog Ofcom has now confirmed that it received 334 complaints about the episode.
A spokesperson told Yahoo that the “majority of complaints related to Richard Madeley’s interview with the president of Guyana, and their discussion of repatriations”.
During the discussion, Madeley - who was hosting with Susanna Reid - questioned whether someone now should carry the burden of past actions.
But Ali said: “You should be concerned and you should pay because you today still benefit from the greatest indignity to the human being, and that is the slave trade.”
“One of the points you've been making today is about our Royal Family,” Madeley went on.
“And you feel that it's not just about the finances involved here in terms of reparations for slavery.”
Slapping his palm onto the table, he said: “It's about the gestures. And you think that the British Royal Family should make a big gesture, don't you? What do you mean? Hand over a palace to your country?”
The president replied: “Well no, we don't want the British to hand over a palace that we built.
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“If you go to many of the palaces in Britain, you'll see the lovely hard work from Guyana. You will see the sweat, tears and blood of the slaves who were exploited, and the revenue that was earned from the exploitation. So we're not asking for a palace; we're asking for justice.”
Some fans took to Twitter to share their thoughts on the heated discussion as the show aired, with one telling Madeley to "calm down".
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