This Morning today (Thursday, March 2) saw the show come under fire for an “appalling segment” about squirrels.
It seems as though the show’s stars knew the segment was controversial as Phillip Schofield predicted Twitter would “explode”.
What happened on This Morning today?
Today’s edition of This Morning saw Holly Willoughby and Phillip discuss squirrel risotto.
At the start of the show, Holly and Phillip spoke to Phil Vickery, who explained that he would be cooking squirrel today.
“Now, we ought to explain this before Twitter explodes,” Phillip said.
He then explained that the Exmoor Squirrel Project is encouraging people to EAT grey squirrels in a bizarre bid to save the native red squirrel from going extinct.
They claim that unless we act now, the red squirrel will be extinct within a decade.
Later in the show, Holly and Phillip sat down to discuss the subject properly.
“I understand it is a highly emotive subject,” Phillip said as they discussed eating grey squirrels.
“And if you are a vegetarian or a vegan, then this is horrific to imagine,” he continued.
Squirrel debate on This Morning today
Holly then went on to list some of the benefits of eating squirrels.
“It’s meant to be really good for you,” she said. “It’s lower fat content, it’s a great source of protein, so it’s meant to be really, really good.”
Holly and Phillip then welcomed Phil over to show off some of the squirrel dishes he’d cooked.
Phil explained that he’d made buttermilk squirrel and squirrel risotto. Phillip and Tom then tried some for themselves.
“If you gave me that, I wouldn’t know what it was,” Phillip said as he ate. “I mean it could be chicken, it could be a little bit of pork.”
Holly then said that the idea of eating it was making her feel a bit “gippy”.
Viewers fume at ‘appalling’ segment
As Phillip predicted, Twitter did “explode”. Some viewers were furious, branding the segment “appalling”.
“#Thismorning Really…squirrel…I won’t be watching, what’s next cat ?? Shameful,” one viewer fumed.
“Squirrel risotto? That’s appalling,” another tweeted.
Squirrel risotto? That’s appalling.
“No no no to squirrel,” a third This Morning viewer wrote.
Not everyone was angry with the segment though.
“Eat squirrels. Move on,” one viewer wrote.
“Phil is right though there will be outrage on here about them eating squirrel yet we eat little lamb and cow etc,” another said.
“Holly feeling nauseous over eating squirrel, but would happily tuck into a dead lamb or chicken. The hypocrisy of some meat eaters,” a third tweeted.
Read more: This Morning: Warning for Holly and Phillip as show advised to switch up presenting roster
This Morning airs on weekdays from 10am on ITV1 and ITVX.
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