Ranvir Singh and Ed Balls as he opens up about stammer struggle
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Ed Balls discusses overcoming stammer on Good Morning Britain

Ranvir thanked Ed for opening up

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Ed Balls opened up about battling a stammer on Good Morning Britain today, leaving presenter Ranvir Singh close to tears.

The 54-year-old former politician is currently co-hosting Good Morning Britain and was on again today alongside Susanna Reid.

In the show, he talked about a personal battle he’d had to fight – overcoming a stammer.

Ed Balls speaks about his stammer on GMB
Ed opened up about his stammer on GMB today (Credit: ITV)

What was Ed Balls’ stammer struggle?

Speaking on his issue, Ed Balls said: “My dad said to me when I got selected as an MP, I don’t know what it is but you’ve got the same as me. I think it will stop you getting on.”

He then went on to say: “In the Cabinet, I couldn’t do autocue. I could never read a speech. I would learn my speeches and then do them as if off the cuff but, in fact, I knew what I was saying.”

Read more: Ed Balls divides viewers as he makes hosting debut

Ed then went on to say that Questions in the Commons was a “nightmare” for him.

Ed Balls opens up about stammer on GMB
Ed was explaining his personal battle to Susanna Reid and Ravina Singh on GMB (Credit: ITV)

He added: “The idea that I could be on Good Morning Britain, looking at the screen, reading the autocue, and getting through the morning like this.

“12 years ago I would have been in meltdown, but today I’m loving it.”

What else did Ed Balls have to say?

Ed Balls ended his story on a positive note. He said: “Sometimes it goes wrong, but that’s fine.

“It never goes away. It’s part of who you are and if you own it and say ‘this is who I am’, then it’s amazing what you can do.”

Following his story, presenter Ranvir, 44, was trying her best to hold back tears.

What was Ranvir’s reaction?

Ravina Singh smiling at Ed Balls
Ranvir admitted that Ed’s story had made her ’emotional’ (Credit: ITV)

“I’m playing this bit back to my son,” Ranvir said to hosts Ed Ball and Susanna Reid.

“I’m going to go back, find it on the [ITV] Hub, this programme, and I’m going to go back and play what you said to him. I think that’s brilliant. Really, thank you so much.”

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Ranvir then revealed that her son didn’t like reading out loud because of similar struggles.

Getting a little choked up, Ranvir then said of Ed Balls’ story: “It makes me quite emotional really, but I’m really pleased, thank you for talking about that.”

Ed Balls Reveals He Wouldn't Want to Return to Parliament | This Morning

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Robert Emlyn Slater
Senior Writer