Viewers of ITV's Good Morning Britain couldn't believe what they were hearing when host Richard Madeley told a guest to "jog on". It came as the presenter returned to the show this morning (Dec 13) after a brief break.
Hosting alongside Kate Garraway, the pair were in the usual London studio for the programme, which on Monday had been hosted live from outside a Merseyside hospital, in order to shine a light on the NHS frontline. Among the guests appearing on the show was boss of the Rail Maritime and Transport union (RMT) Mick Lynch.
The union leader was on to discuss the first of a wave of 48-hour rail strikes affecting the UK today, Manchester Evening News reports. Workers are walking out in a dispute over pay and conditions, with nurses, Royal Mail employees and many others also set to take industrial action this winter.
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Mr Lynch was speaking live from Euston Station, and it wasn't long before he and Richard broke into a heated exchange. The union leader accused Richard of "ranting", to which the host put to Mr Lynch that he was targeting people at Christmas.
He said the strikes could potentially put hoteliers, restauranteurs and retailers out of business during a normally busy time of year. But the RMT general secretary replied: "We’re not targeting Christmas, it isn’t Christmas yet, Richard, I don’t know when your Christmas starts but mine starts on Christmas Eve."
An irked Richard said his statement was "disingenuous", adding: "Commercial Christmas starts in December, you know that!" Richard went on to add: "I won't let you get away with nonsense. Christmas doesn't start on Christmas Eve, let's just be clear. It starts in early December and that's what we're talking about."
Mr Lynch went on to reply: "Richard, why don’t you just interview yourself?" To which the presenter clapped back: "Cheap point, Mr Lynch. I'm holding you to account on behalf of viewers, not on behalf of myself. I'm not interested in the sound of my own voice, I want to hear yours answering the question."
Mr Lynch asked: "Why don't you stop talking for a second." To which Richard said: "Because you won't answer the question and until you do, I'll keep interrupting. On you go, jog on!"
At this point, Kate intervened, saying: "Okay, please talk Mr Lynch. You speak..." as Richard repeated his question to the union boss.
On social media, viewers expressed their shock at Richard's response. @CraigStoneUK tweeted: "#gmb @gmb Richard telling the person he’s interviewing to 'jog on' Why is he back on our screen?" @Blondeinktweets said: "Saying 'What happened to Christmas kindness?' and 'jog on'. Richard is doing an awful job of this #gmb."
@Pm83 wrote: "As if Richard just told Mick Lynch to jog on #gmb." @BoogieBrown43 posted: "Jog on. Really? #GMB." @Littley1974 added: "There is a bonus to enforced waking up to #GMB. Richard Madeley having a spat with Mick Lynch of the RMT, telling him to jog on, losing the battle then looking angry and red faced... Wonder what the people in his earpiece are saying to him! Holding his tongue a bit now..."
Mr Lynch eventually told the programme: "I have no intention of spoiling people’s Christmas. The Government is contributing to that spoiling of the people’s Christmas because they’ve brought these strikes on by stopping the companies from making suitable proposals.
“That’s the position that we’re in and we’ll have to keep this dispute going until we get a reasonable settlement and a reasonable set of proposals that our members want to accept."
He added: “We’ve still got plenty of time before the Christmas Eve strikes if (Network Rail chief executive) Andrew Haines and the train operating companies, Huw Merriman the rail minister, and Mark Harper the Secretary of State, want to come to me with a set of serious proposals to improve their offer so that we can get a settlement to the dispute, we’ll come over and see them as soon as possible.
"They’ve already invited me to a set of talks and we’ll attend those to try and get a settlement to this dispute. And when our members decide that they want to accept it, that’s when the dispute will be finished."
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