This Morning viewers were left unimpressed with host Holly Willoughby as she defended Carrie Johnson during a debate over how involved the Prime Minister’s wife is in Boris Johnson ’s decision-making.
This comes as Carrie has said she is the target of a "brutal briefing campaign" as a book by Tory peer Lord Ashcroft alleges she has influence on the Prime Minister.
Holly opened the discussion alongside co-host Alison Hammond, who has stepped in for regular host Phillip Schofield after he tested positive for the coronavirus.
Holly opened by saying Carrie Johnson is being “blamed” for “an awful lot here”.
ITV ’s host Holly added: “It’s like we can’t actually believe he’s capable of making these mistakes himself - it must be her fault.”
This Morning guest Gyles Brandreth weighed in saying: “This is a story as old as Shakespeare’s Macbeth.”
Later in the conversation, guest Claudia-Liza Vanderpuije blasted Carrie Johnson and referred to her as “Carrie Antoinette”, saying: “Another area that Carrie Antoinette is being blamed for is the parties.”
She continued: “Apparently Boris Johnson isn’t very keen on a party, but Carrie - younger former mistress, now the wife of Boris Johnson - is very partial to a party.
“There was a gathering the day Dominic Cummings was finally thrown out. Again, could that have been because of Carrie?”
However, Holly interrupted guest Claudia-Liza to object to how she referred to Carrie Johnson.
She said: “I feel like just sitting here now, using her name and saying Carrie Antoinette and saying words like ‘former mistress’, I just think it’s really unfair.
“I think it screams a little bit of that Meghan Markle bashing that we’ve all done. I feel like actually we don’t know. We weren’t there.”
As the discussion moved on to other matters, This Morning viewers took to Twitter to slam Holly’s comments comparing Carrie to the Duchess of Sussex.
One wrote: “#ThisMorning Holly showing shes a #BorisJohnson lover, Carrie was a mistress who had no morals like her cheating husband when his wife had cancer by the way. Disgusting. The most vile couple ever, how can anyone defend that Holly.”
Another said: “Holly defending Borris Johnson wife Carrie comparing her to Meghan Markle where is the comparison Meghan was never a mistress!!!!!!!! Wow let me turn my music back on #ThisMorning”
A third tweeted: “Oooohh Holly in defensive mode over Carrie there #ThisMorning”
Another social media user wrote: “Carrie Johnson has been an advisor in the Tory party for years, are we really meant to believe that she’s not speaking up now she’s married to the PM? Maybe there’s some exaggeration in it but I bet there’s truth in it too. #ThisMorning”
This Morning airs weekdays at 10am on ITV and ITV Hub.
