Ben Shephard found himself in a heated row with a guest on GMB on Friday (September 29), before his co-host Kate Garraway was forced to step in.
Ben clashed with TV presenter Michelle Dewberry, who was on the show to discuss the Ofcom investigation after Laurence Fox’s sexist comments on GB News. Laurence’s rant against female journalist Ava Evans on Dan Wootton’s show has since seen him suspended.
Michelle, who works on GB News, said: “It was sexist, it was misogynistic, it was embarrassing. I knew the next day there would be this monumental backlash and rightly so. I don’t think that is representative of the channel and very swift action has been taken.”
Ben then asked if Michelle had contacted GB News bosses to get reassurance that Laurence would not be returning to the channel, after a string of other female presenters had done so.
Michelle hit back, saying: “I haven’t contacted bosses and tried to influence the outcome of an investigation. I wouldn’t do that under any circumstances. I don’t need to seek their reassurances because I already know that this is not the sort of thing that the channel is about.
“I know, I have worked there since the day of the first broadcast. I don’t need to go to management to get that reassurance from them.” Michelle added that she doesn’t like to “jump on bandwagons” and “pre-empt the outcome”.
‘That was a prime-time show on your channel. One of the highest-rated shows on your channel had that interview where the host did absolutely nothing.’
GB News presenter @MichelleDewbs says Laurence Fox’s comments don’t represent ‘who GB News is’ & is the exception ‘not the rule’ pic.twitter.com/w64t42tFgI
— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) September 29, 2023
Good Morning Britain viewers spot tension between Ben and guest
Getting more irate, Ben later stated: “That was a prime-time show on your channel, one of the highest rating shows that you have on your channel that had that interview where the host did absolutely nothing to stop those comments.”
Michelle said: “We all agree it was wrong. It was appalling. You’re preaching to the converted. I had my head in my hands. We’re better than that. We don’t tolerate that, that is not what this channel is.”
Kate then stepped in to defuse the situation, saying: “Okay. I suppose what people are getting at is that you might be very against that, but GB News has presented itself as a sort of bastion of free speech and that people should be allowed to say it like it is. When you’re in that situation, unless everybody involved is very clear of the lines, things like that are going to happen.”
Michelle said that was “the exception not the rule”.
Ben later cut Michelle off as he wrapped up the interview before going to a break, telling her he was out of time. Backing up her pal, Kate then chipped in: “We’ll have to agree to disagree.”
Viewers react to Ben Shephard on GMB
Many viewers took to Twitter as they commented on the tension between Ben and Michelle.
One wrote: “Did Ben just tell Michelle Dewberry to [bleep] off?” Another said: “Ohhhhh GMB getting tasty!!! #gmb #goodmorningbritain.”
Someone else said: “Ben looked furious during that Michelle Dewberry interview.” “Ben was not impressed,” another agreed.
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