ITV’s leading morning show Good Morning Britain has faced criticism as we head into the festive season, renowned for its lineup of special television programming.
According to new data released by online casino guide BetPokies, the programme on 5th August is the most complained about TV segment of 2024 thus far.
The team have viewed Ofcom complaints for every week in 2024, pinpointing which shows stirred the most viewer discontent and when.
With the top slot being nabbed by none other than Good Morning Britain, here’s a rundown of the TV moments that have drawn the audiences ire this year:.
1. Good Morning Britain ITV Broadcast date: 05/08/2024 Total of 16,883 complaints received.
The research highlighted that the episode aired on 5th August saw 16,783 complaints lodged with Ofcom, a staggering number that surpassed any other show by quite a stretch. Issues were taken particularly with two contentious interviews conducted during that instalment, featuring Independent MP Zarah Sultana and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, reports the Mirror.
The controversy primarily revolved around concerns of a potential conflict of interest when GMB host Ed Balls took on the task of interviewing his spouse Yvette Cooper. Commentary also targeted the questioning style of both Ed Balls and his colleague Kate Garraway towards guest Zara Sultana.
Despite the public outcry, ITV defended their approach, claiming that the interviews were “balanced, fair and duly impartial”. An Ofcom spokesperson commented: “We are assessing the complaints against our broadcasting rules but are yet to decide whether or not to investigate.”
The interviews in question were linked to the widespread racist riots that erupted across the UK during the summer.
2. Love Island ITV2 Transmission 24/07/2024 1,831 complaints.
The episode of Love Island aired on 24th July became the second most complained-about broadcast, with 1,831 viewers expressing their discontent after a fiery dispute erupted during a challenge. In this challenge, the contestants had to guess the results of a public vote on which couple was perceived to be together solely for the chance of winning.
In dramatic footage, the Islanders were informed about an exclusive awards ceremony named The Grafties. The text message announcing the event stated: “Islanders, it’s awards season and tonight you are invited to a ceremony all about you. The winner of each category has been chosen by the public. Prepare your acceptance speeches and glam up, it’s time for The Grafties! #AndTheWinnerIs #RollTheTapes.”
The episode kicked off with a bang as the Islanders discovered that one couple had been voted the least compatible by the public, resulting in immediate elimination from the show. Newcomers Harry and Lola were sent packing, much to the shock of their fellow contestants.
However, the segment titled It’s Giving One Sided sparked the most controversy. When discussing Josh, Sean didn’t hesitate to express his suspicions: “You’ve made Mimii exclusive, quite quick as well so I feel like it’s some one sided game to be fair.”
Sean hit back at him, referencing his Casa Amor behaviour: “I just didn’t need to go through three people to know who I want.” Undeterred, Sean continued telling Josh: “You’ve come in, stuck with Mimii, contemplated it with Grace but you didn’t have the bottle to go through with it… You’ve made some mad moves and played it quite safe.”
Joey tried to intervene on behalf of Sean, suggesting, “I feel like what he’s trying to say is that you’ve gone exclusive under pressure quite quickly” but tensions escalated rapidly in the villa as Josh bristled at Joey’s inference.
Meanwhile, Jessy, Joey’s partner, was quick to step into the fray, admonishing Josh: “You’re not listening, this is your problem! ” Before long, the situation unravelled into confrontation between Joey and Sean on one side and Josh on the other.
3. Good Morning Britain on ITV broadcast on 30/05/2024 racked up a staggering 1,765 complaints.
Another edition of Good Morning Britain, racked up 1,765 complaints coming in third place owing to a heated exchange between Mike Parry and Kay Taiwo over the ban on XL Bully dogs.
During the live debate, Richard questioned Mike about his strategy for handling all the XL bullies in the country, to which Mike responded: “The only legal XL bully dogs in the country are registered. We know where they all are and they should go away.”
Kay, who had her dog with her at the ITV studios, countered Mike by saying that he “wasn’t making sense.”
Kay retorted to Mike’s comments, stating: “If you’re talking about the size of a dog making you feel afraid, there’s so many dogs you can feel afraid of. And if you’re talking about the purpose of a breed, then you don’t understand the purpose of an XL.”
Mike interjected loudly: “Why does that dog have jaws that are so strong that they break arms?”
“The dog has a muzzle because it’s the law,” Kay countered. The debate escalated, prompting co-anchor Ranvir Singh to intervene, saying: “Guys. Kay and Mike. Kay and Mike. It’s the debate that we’re going to keep having, isn’t it? But thank you both for coming here, you represent very different points of view.”
Ranvir quickly switched the camera as she turned to Joel Dommett who was presenting Lorraine, with the comedian remarking: “Wow. Woah. That was intense.” This contentious interview, which sparked a significant number of Ofcom complaints, follows the new legal requirement in England and Wales to own the controversial breed only with an exemption certificate. Under the legislation, XL Bully owners must neuter, microchip, and keep their dogs muzzled and on a lead in public.
4. Emmerdale ITV Transmission 27/05/2024 826 complaints.
The episode of Emmerdale aired on the 27th of May has found itself in hot water, receiving 826 complaints due to a plot involving the poisoning of a dog.
In June, Emmerdale fans were left traumatized after a disturbing scene showed Belle’s abusive partner, Tom King, cruelly poisoning their dog, Piper. The shocking storyline sparked a fierce backlash from viewers, who took to social media to express their outrage, with many vowing to boycott the show.
Despite reassurances from the ITV soap that the dog actress, Minnie, who plays Piper, was unharmed, fans remained upset. One viewer complained: “I think we’ll let @Ofcom decide on whether it was acceptable to include this in the storyline. Someone’s got to rain your show in from its extraordinary obsession with turning it into a 9pm show. Where’s the family storylines? The fun? It never gets aired without a prior warning.”
Other viewers echoed similar concerns, with one commenting: “People know Piper/Minnie is loved dearly, it’s the animal cruelty that everyone is upset about. It will give abusive partners, ideas.”
Another viewer criticized the show for unnecessarily prolonging the disturbing storyline, saying: “I think most of us know the pup is fine, but there was no real need to show the extensive abuse that you did. The storyline has gone on far too long.”
5. Sunak v Starmer: The ITV Debate ITV Transmission 04/06/2024 686 complaints.
June’s election debate on ITV featuring Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer has entered the top five most-complained-about broadcasts, garnering a total of 686 complaints.
John Gold, the founder of BetPokies, commented: “It’s interesting to see the range of programmes to feature on this list, with news programmes sitting alongside reality TV and soaps. Many complaints come from channels that don’t directly benefit from the TV license fee, which may surprise some, as it may be expected that programming the public pays for may be more divisive.
“That being said, 2024 is not over yet, and moments could still happen that could top this list, and it will be worth noting how this changes as the year ends.”
The broadcast sparked outrage among viewers who didn’t hesitate to express their concerns to Ofcom over various issues. Sunak’s unchallenged assertion during the debate that Labour’s plan would lead to £2,000 in tax hikes per working household resulted in 298 complaints. Additionally, many viewers were disgruntled by the perceived imbalance in airtime given to Sunak, prompting 219 complaints.
A further 161 grievances were filed regarding the handling of a question about the Israel-Palestine conflict. Julie Etchingham moderated the hour-long leaders’ debate on ITV, continuing her role from the last three national elections.
The list of most complained-about moments continues:.
6. This Morning ITV Transmission 28/05/2024 637 complaints.
7. People’s Forum: The Prime Minster GB News Aired 12/02/2024 Received 535 complaints.
8. Farage GB News Aired 28/02/2024 Received 427 complaints.
9. Good Morning Britain ITV Aired 18/06/2024 Received 471 complaints.
10. Talk Today with Jeremy Kyle and Rosie Wright TalkTV Aired 14/02/2024 Received 392 complaints.