Good Morning Britain host Susanna Reid was left gasping in the ITV studio on Monday morning as a guest swore live on air during a debate over strike action.
Susanna was joined alongside co-host Ed Balls as they discussed the looming possibility of nurse strikes this year with guest journalists Andrew Pierce and Kevin Maguire.
It comes as the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) union said that new walkouts will be announced if talks with the government do not progress soon.
Kevin and Andrew came to verbal blows during the discussion as they raised the anti-strike bill in the House of Commons today.
Union workers have protested against the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill, which looks to limit workers’ rights by imposing minimum service levels, and said the Government is acting like “a dictator”.
Yet during the discussion on Good Morning Britain, Kevin said the word ‘b*******’ when quoting a union leader, prompting Susanna to gasp in the studio.
He began: "It's a lousy bill. This is all about playing politics and looking for an issue to try and divide the Conservatives and Labour to try and make a party political point.
"It's not about solving anything," he said before turning to Andrew and adding: "I know you parrot the government's propaganda on what happens around Europe."
Andrew replied: "This is a bit rich when you parrot Labour morning, noon and night."
The associate editor for the Daily Mirror then cut in to add: "One of the European trade union leaders said what you say about minimum standards is ‘b*******’," at which point Susanna gasped across the table.
Kevin replied: "Sorry, I'm quoting," and tried to press on before Susanna stopped him.
The TV presenter quickly apologised to viewers on Kevin’s behalf, as she noted the regulator Ofcom’s rules around swearing before the watershed.
She said: "Hang on a moment. Where did that come from?
"Sorry, we can't get past Ofcom regulations just because you're quoting someone."
Yet, many viewers at home were surprised the word was considered a profanity, as one took to Twitter writing: “What a sad world we live in if people are offended by the word b*******.”
A second added: “Kevin Maguire said "b*******", live on GMB, and the sky didn't fall in,” as another wrote: “Are you OFFENDED by b*******?”
Other viewers however were not impressed with the word choice given how early in the morning the show airs, as one wrote: “Watching gmb kevin McGuire kids are watching mind your potty mouth.”
Good Morning Britain airs weekdays at 6am on ITV.
