IT doesn’t take much to dumbfound Richard Madeley.
Whether he’s arguing with Mick Lynch about strikes being disruptive or comparing climate activists to paedophiles, his appearances as a presenter on Good Morning Britain never fail to display the broadcaster’s sharp intellect.
On Monday morning it was Scottish presenter Sean McDonald’s turn to be the object of Madeley’s bemusement.
During a discussion about accents sparked by Keir Starmer’s claim that “oracy” would be one of his party’s main education goals, McDonald articulated how the possession of a strong accent can often lead to assumptions about someone’s class background.
The use of ‘repudiate’ blew his mind https://t.co/n18mafdcs4 pic.twitter.com/dnptkuwsNq
— Nooruddean (@BeardedGenius) July 17, 2023
He said: “What happens when we hear someone speak is that we do make an assumption or we make a guess on: where are they from, what’s their social status, what’s their wealth, what’s their education?”
In a perfect demonstration of McDonald’s point, Madeley replied: “But you’re completely articulate, even though you’ve got a strong accent!”
As fellow presenter Susanna Reid laughs, Madeley rushes to clarify.
“Your command of language is what I mean, your use of language”.
To which Reid added: “What? Even though he’s from Glasgow?”
Earlier in the discussion, McDonald described how he felt his career as a presenter had occasionally been held back because some employers said his accent was “a bit too Scottish for the audience”.
Here’s an idea: If ITV are really concerned about how articulate their presenters are, maybe it’s time to replace Richard Madeley with Sean McDonald ...
