Good Morning Britain Viewers Frustrated by Focus on Katie Price Over Other News: ‘Had to Switch Channel’
Viewers of Good Morning Britain expressed their frustration on Friday morning, leading some to switch off the program due to its news coverage choices. The breakfast show, hosted by Kate Garraway and Rob Rinder, aimed to deliver the day’s top headlines but left many feeling dissatisfied with the focus of the broadcast.
One of the major stories covered was the arrest of former glamour model Katie Price. The mother of five was taken into custody after a warrant was issued for her detention due to her failure to attend court proceedings last month. A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police confirmed “A 46-year-old woman from Surrey was arrested at Heathrow Airport at 19:45hrs on Thursday, 8 August for failing to appear at court. She has been remanded in custody at a west London police station to appear at the Royal Courts of Justice tomorrow, Friday, 9 August.”
As Kate and Rob discussed the matter, with the news banner displaying the story across the bottom of the screen, viewers at home were unimpressed. Many took to Twitter to voice their displeasure, with one viewer writing, “No balance again .. had to switch channel #GMB,” according to reports from Express.
Another viewer criticized the show, posting, “Oh no. Ricky Jones was mentioned for 3 seconds 77 minutes into the show what is one of the most appalling stories ever, that eviscerates Tommy Robinson and Nigel Farage is part of a weekly roundup, and now back to Katie Price’s main story. All #GMB has is the 60 + year old viewers.”
A third viewer commented, “@GMB going by the scrolling headlines at the bottom of the screen, it seems the arrest of Katie Price is more newsworthy than that of Ricky Jones. #GMB,” highlighting their dissatisfaction with the prioritization of news stories.
The criticism continued with another tweet, “Why do #gmb give Plastic Katie Price Airtime??” accompanied by a shrugging emoji, reflecting the viewer’s confusion over the show’s editorial choices.
Katie Price’s legal troubles have been making headlines, particularly following her bankruptcy and a staggering £760,000 unpaid tax bill. She was expected to disclose details about her finances to the High Court on July 30 but failed to appear, with rumors circulating that she may have been in Turkey for cosmetic surgery.
In contrast, many viewers felt that the program failed to adequately cover the controversy surrounding Labour councilor Ricky Jones. The Metropolitan Police recently confirmed the arrest of a man in his fifties, suspected of inciting murder and committing an offense under the Public Order Act. Footage emerged showing Jones advocating for violence against far-right protestors, leading to his swift dismissal from the Labour Party.
The backlash against Good Morning Britain highlights the challenges news programs face in balancing the coverage of sensational stories with significant, yet perhaps less attention-grabbing, news.