During the discussion about immigration on This Morning, TV presenter Rylan Clark said “something major needs to be done”. The show is now facing an investigation by the media watchdog
This Morning is facing an Ofcom investigation over Rylan Clark’s rant about migrants. Almost 600 viewers have complained to the media watchdog about his comments on the ITV show last Thursday.
Experts at Ofcom are now reviewing footage to decide if they will take action. A spokesperson said: “We’re assessing these complaints against our broadcasting rules, but are yet to decide whether or not to investigate.”
Rylan divided opinion with his views about the migrant crisis during a review of the news. The presenter claimed people coming over on small boats are “living a great life”. He argued that something “major” needs to be done about asylum hotels
But many critics claimed he made false statements while others have praised him for speaking out.
During the discussion, the TV star, 36, said: “This country is built on immigration, legal immigration. You know that a lot of the nurses, the doctors that have saved my mum’s life have come over here from other countries, are living a great life, they’re paying into this tax system, they’re helping this country thrive.
“I find it absolutely insane that all these people, one risk in their lives coming across the channel like that, they are but two, when they get here it does seem, and I think this is why a lot of Labour voters as well are now sitting there going there’s something wrong here, it seems ‘Welcome, Come on in’. This is the narrative we’re being fed.
“Here’s the hotel, here’s the phones, here’s the iPad, here’s the NHS in reception of your hotel, here’s three meals a day, here’s a games room in the hotel. Have a lovely time and welcome.
“And then there’s people that have lived here all their lives that are struggling. There are people living on the streets, veterans, all of this. Now this isn’t me getting on my soapbox, because, let me be honest, everyone’s gonna have an opinion about this, and you’re gonna upset someone some which way.”
He added: “I believe that something major needs to be done about this. The money that it’s costing us, the amount of people that are in this country that we have no idea who they are, what they’ve done, what they’re capable of and clearly, we see a lot of it in the press at the moment – what some are doing, it’s not all, what some are doing to people in this country.”
The presenter later shared a statement on Instagram which read: “You can be pro immigration and against illegal routes. You can support trans people and have the utmost respect for women. You can be heterosexual and still support gay rights. The list continues. Stop with this putting everyone in a box exercise and maybe have conversations instead of shouting on twitter.”
The row is the latest crisis to hit This Morning. Two years ago Philip Schofield quit the show after it emerged he’d had an affair with a younger colleague behind the scenes. Just months later Holly Willoughby left after being the target of a kidnap plot.
The show also missed out on the Daytime gong at the National Television Awards for the first time in 13 years.
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