Richard Madeley clashed with an Insulate Britain protester on Good Morning Britain amid protests that saw two major roads being blocked by activists.
The protests were subject to debate on Good Morning Britain as hosts Richard Madeley and Ranvir Singh spoke to an Insulate Britain activist, as well as someone who was previously caught up in an eco-warrior protest.
Madeley had a heated chat with Insulate Britain campaigner Tracey Mallaghan in which he spoke about how a woman has been left paralysed from a stroke as she couldn’t get to hospital in time.
Tragically, doctors said she would have been fine if she made it to hospital within 90 minutes, but she was in a queue on the blocked motorway for six hours.
Madeley asked if it was her mother what she would have done.
Mallaghan said she would have called an ambulance, and added: “If it was my mum of course at the time I would be furious and heartbroken but when you then go home we’ll have to look at the reality, three to four years to save the future of humanity.”
The host interjected and asked if she would allow her own mother to have a near-fatal stroke. She replied: “Three to four years before my kids face an unimaginable future, Richard.”
'How would you feel if that was your mother?'
— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) October 27, 2021
'Is it because you're heartless or too scared to look at the reality of the situation?'@richardm56 clashes with Insulate Britain campaigner Tracey Mallaghan over the road blocking protests.
Watch GMB now 👉 https://t.co/6iQ6ebeOEQ pic.twitter.com/LDv1LhJHBz
He uttered that she’s not answering his question, to which she replied: “And you’re not asking the right questions.” He said that was his decision, and she asked: “Is it because you’re heartless or too scared to look at the reality of our situation?”
When asked what she would do if someone died on the M25 as a result of the protests, she said she would “cry” and added that she “hates disrupting people”.
'What if someone dies today on the M25?'
— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) October 27, 2021
Insulate Britain campaigner says she 'will cry' and 'hates disrupting people'. pic.twitter.com/xpMcrSyNjH
She continued urging him to “ask the right questions” and then asked if he was “heartless or stupid”.
Defending himself, Madeley said: “You said that five times, I’m not stupid and I’m not heartless and I don’t really like you patronising me.”
After an exchange with Dawn Neesom, who previously got caught up in an Extinction Rebellion protest, Madeley and Mallaghan’s clash continued.
Madeley said that her “technique” is to “never answer questions”, and they both accused the other of being patronising.
'How dare they!'
— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) October 27, 2021
Insulate Britain have warned motorists not to use the M25 today and have declared the motorway “a site of nonviolent civil resistance”.
The campaign group has asked that if drivers do use the road they reduce their speed to 20mph. pic.twitter.com/InwxiXd4cK
Neesom said: “How dare they? Who are they to lecture us on what roads we may or may not use?”
She sarcastically said she wasn’t aware they set the rules of the road given they’ve asked people to not drive over 20 mph.
She said the majority of people don’t support Insulate Britain - who Neesom dubbed “Insult” Britain.
Some took the side of Mallaghan, with one Twitter user calling Madeley “patronising”:
Richard madeley is so patronising @GMB #gmb
— reggies mum 💙 #johnsonout (@kellsley) October 27, 2021
It's amazing how much listening to Richard Madeley makes me sympathise with #InsulateBritain #GMB
— A to the J to the yay 🟨🟥 (@FlatCovid) October 27, 2021
Here’s the core of it. The question no one will face when they are prattling on about protests. “Do you know what a 2 degree temperature rise looks like and what it means for your children?”
— Brendan May (@bmay) October 27, 2021
He has no idea, and isn’t interested. The problem in a nutshell.pic.twitter.com/FUYDfyMpG8
Others backed Madeley:
I have a whole new respect for @richardm56 after that! Also, “thanks for@coming on GMB and not answering a single question… “
— Siobhan L Walker (@SiobhanLouisa) October 27, 2021
Legend.
Richard’s a legend,
— Happy haddocks (@fishingscaw22) October 27, 2021
You did a great job, shouty woman was never going to answer any questions she was there to use your platform to scream about her cause. Awful!
— Shabnam (@ShabnamChaudhri) October 27, 2021
Madeley’s interview this morning again led to comparisons with Alan Partridge:
Richard Madeley and Insulate Britain this morning on tv pic.twitter.com/EfvUfeoP28
— Rob McArdle (@RobMcSWA) October 27, 2021
Richard Madeley may be in a league of his own when it comes to Partridge-style idiocy, but this bad faith, hectoring approach to interviewing activists is totally standard in British broadcasting. It’s the powerless they hold to account, not the powerful https://t.co/5EMnLjcOCv
— Oscar Rickett (@oscarrickettnow) October 27, 2021
This isn’t the first time Madeley has clashed with an Insulate Britain campaigner, having previously branded the movement “ludicrous”.
In September a protester walked off the Good Morning Britain set after getting into an argument with Madeley.
This morning’s protests saw the Extinction Rebellion splinter group disrupt the slip road at junction 1a of the M25 – the UK’s busiest motorway – as well as the A40 in west London as part of a 16th day of “non-violent civil resistance” involving road blocks.
A retired doctor who was involved in the demonstration was doused in ink, while an angry motorist played the bagpipes in protesters’ faces to express his frustration.
Regardless of how people feel about the protests, the group certainly is getting their message out there.
