Richard Madeley has been hit with fresh criticism following an interview with a man whose mother has been kidnapped by Hamas.
Noam Sagi appeared on Good Morning Britain today to talk about his 75-year-old mum Ada Sagi, who is currently being held captive by Hamas. You can see part of the interview here:
Just last week, Madeley was slammed online after he asked British-Palestinian politician Layla Moran if there had been ‘word on the street’ before to the Hamas attacks.
The presenter was slapped with over 2,000 Ofcom complaints over the interview.
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In a statement after the backlash, a Good Morning Britain spokesperson said: “Richard is sorry that he has upset viewers with his question to Layla Moran.”
They added: “His intention was to understand the mood and atmosphere amongst the civilian population of Gaza immediately before the attacks … He did not mean to imply that she or her family might have had any prior knowledge of the attacks.”
And today, he’s been met with fresh criticism after he asked an ‘insensitive’ question to Sagi.
Madeley began the interview by asking Sagi: “Were you comforted by what appears to be the relatively reasonable treatment the hostages are getting?
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"According to her account they are being fed, they’re eating the same food as their captors, they’ve been given water.
"Apart from I think she said she was beaten when she was being taken to the tunnels where she was kept, after that it seems like the treatment was not unreasonable - were you comforted by that, thinking of your mother?”
After a brief pause, Sagi replied: “Richard, we wouldn’t have the conversation if it would be good guys on the other side.
“That wouldn’t be the case, you wouldn’t talk to me right now."
He went on: “Who comes to someone's house – 80, 70, 90 years old, nine months old, three years old, shoot them in the limbs and take them out of their beds into captivity?
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“And then we're talking about conditions. So, I don't want to have a conversation about the conditions, I want my mum back.
“I'm a son - you as parents just think about what that means if someone needs to fight for your life and you don't know for 19 days now.
“So the conversation should go back to why we're talking to begin with and that is my message.”
To which Madeley replied: “I think that's a perfectly reasonable point of view and totally understandable.”
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After the segment aired, viewers took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to call out the presenter.
One person said: “Richard Madeley, yet another display of interviewing with the sensitivity of a brick.”
Another said: “Please please GMB gag Richard Madeley! You do not ask the son of a hostage ‘apart from your mother being beaten when they took her, are you happy with her treatment?’ I'm stunned he's still on air frankly.”
LADbible has approached ITV for comment.
Topics: Good Morning Britain, TV and Film
Claire Reid