The Martin Lewis Money Show viewers were left fuming over Ed Miliband’s ‘waffling’ TV appearance last night, branding the politician ‘a joke’ and fuming ‘he has no idea what he’s doing’.

The Secretary of State for Energy joined Martin, 53, live via video link on Tuesday (March 17) to face questions submitted by the public about heating oil and energy.

The episode was dedicated to talking about the prices of diesel, petrol and heating oil, following Labour’s recent announcement that £53million in funds will be allocated across the UK to help with the price rises.

00:01

02:24

Read More

Ed, 56, was left stuttering as he explained the funds were there to aid ‘vulnerable people’ who could apply through their local authority for the payment assistance.

When the politician was asked for more details on who will be eligible for help, he batted away that it would be a ‘matter for local authorities’ to decide.

He continued to Martin on the ITV show: ‘One of the things we’ve thought about is how do we get the money out the door quickly.

+8
View gallery

The Martin Lewis Money Show viewers were left fuming over Ed Miliband’s ‘waffling’ TV appearance last night (March 17) as he spoke to money expert Martin

+8
View gallery

The Secretary of State for Energy joined Martin live via video link on Tuesday (March 17) to face questions submitted by the public about heating oil and energy

‘We’ve learnt from the last crisis it took nearly 200 days to get a scheme up and running so local authorities tend to know their populations.

‘We haven’t specified it’s only people on means-tested benefits for example.

‘We are going to leave it to the discretion of local authorities and I hope and believe they will look sympathetically at people.’

Martin then pressed: ‘What are you going to do if councils are too strict?’ and the Labour MP replied: ‘We’ll tell the councils to make them less strict.

‘We will obviously have to judge this as it goes ahead and we will be looking to hear feedback from you and others and individuals about their circumstances and whether they’ve got the help.’

Martin continued: ‘Why are you only helping the few, not the many?’ to which the politician replied: ‘We’re not restricting this to just people on means tested benefits.’

When Martin interjected as to why it was ‘not universal’, Ed stuttered and continued: ‘It’s not universal… I’ve been very clear. We cannot have unfair practice.’

However, viewers were left furious by his unclear answer – hitting out that Ed was ‘waffling’ and ‘had no idea what he is doing’.

Taking to X, formerly Twitter, one angrily penned: ‘He’s just waffling. If you want it, you’ll have to pay through the nose for it.’

+8
View gallery

Ed, 56, was left stuttering as he explained the funds were there to aid ‘vulnerable people’ who could apply through their local authority for the payment assistance

Another chimed in: ‘Recorded and scripted interview,’ as a third agreed: ‘Vulnerable is too vague!’

Someone else hit out: ‘Ed Miliband is a joke of an MP he has no idea what he is doing,’ as a fifth wrote: ‘Go beg your council is the only answer apparently.’

‘Come on we all know that if you ask your local council for help that they will come back with a short sharp NO,’ another viewer concluded.

It comes after viewers of Martin’s show were left baffled and raged ‘what is he on about?’ as they bombarded ITV with complaints about the latest episode.

Fans tuning in last month admitted they had been confused by the instalment, which drew focus on the changes to the energy price cap coming up in April.

In February, it was announced that energy bills could fall over the coming months as regulator Ofgem said prices are due to drop by seven per cent.

The regulator’s price cap will drop from the current £1,758 to £1,641 – a reduction of around £10 a month for the average household using both electricity and gas.

The price cap sets a maximum price that suppliers can charge customers in England, Scotland and Wales for each unit of gas and electricity they use.

It also sets a maximum daily standing charge – the cost of having your home connected to the grid.

+8
View gallery

The Martin Lewis Money Show viewers were left baffled and raged ‘what is he on about?’ as they bombarded ITV with complaints about the latest episode

Martin, 53, drew focus on the news as he returned to screens on Tuesday, spending much of the programme explaining the price falls, and quizzing Ofgem boss Jonathan Brearley with questions submitted from viewers.

With the help of a series of infographics, Martin outlined the changes that the average household could expect, as well as how to prepare for the price change to get the best deal on energy prices going forward.

However, fans at home admitted they were struggling to make sense of all the information presented by Martin, and guest Jonathan, 52.

Taking to X, formerly Twitter, to complain, one said: ‘Gas & electricity prices, price cap, network costs, wholesale costs… sorry Martin Lewis it’s all gobbledygook to me.’

Another added: ‘What’s he on about?? My brain is frazzled,’ as a third penned of the show’s infographics: ‘Clear as mud as usual.’

‘Absolute waste of time,’ someone else concluded.

Others were quick to disagree, defending the episode as ‘important’, despite acknowledging they felt the information came ‘too fast’ to fully understand – instead asking ITV to give Martin ‘longer airtime’.

They added: ‘Your show and what you do is so important and very good – thank you – but the tv show is always too fast.

+8
View gallery

Martin outlined the changes that the average household could expect, as well as how to prepare for the price change to get the best deal on energy prices going forward

‘It can be difficult to follow as you go super fast through everything. Get longer airtime! Thanks again for all your amazing info!’

Elsewhere, Martin apologised for gatecrashing Kemi Badenoch‘s interview on Good Morning Britain.

The Conservative Party leader was ‘ambushed’ by Mr Lewis as she discussed plans to cut student loan repayments for struggling graduates with GMB hosts Susanna Reid and Ed Balls.

Mrs Badenoch was being questioned by the former Labour minister on her proposal to cut 100,000 low quality university places, and redirect the money to reduce the staggering interest rates on student loans.

However while they spoke, Mr Lewis walked unannounced on to the set and began lecturing her on the need to increase the salary threshold at which repayments start.

The money saving champion has since apologised to Mrs Badenoch, writing on X: ‘Dear @KemiBadenoch, apologies for gate crashing your @GMB interview today.

‘Student loans are so life-impacting that I wanted to ensure the key point was made – that financially, if not psychologically, the repayment threshold is a bigger issue than the interest.

‘Thank you for being so courteous after the interruption – you handled it far better than I would have done the other way round. I have asked my office to request a meeting, if you are available, to discuss this more calmly.’

+8
View gallery

The Conservative Party leader was caught in a mansplaining pincer movement by Ed Balls and Martin Lewis as she appeared on Good Morning Britain

Mrs Badenoch accepted Mr Lewis’s apology, posting on X: ‘Hi @MartinSLewis, thank you. I really appreciate that, and honestly, don’t worry. I do love a feisty debate! It helps people understand what the real issues are.

‘You and I agree on the principle: student loans have become a scam. It took me eight years to pay mine off. I made my last payment in 2011, and I remember how happy I was, and my debt was only £14,000. I can’t imagine what it’s like to be a young person with £40,000 debt today.

‘Whatever the Coalition government brought in back in 2012, it’s clearly not working for the world in 2026. So I’d genuinely love to come on your show and debate my plan vs yours.’

After Mr Lewis arrived unannounced, he and Mr Balls began speaking at Mrs Badenoch on live TV as she struggled to get a word in edgeways.

Eventually Mrs Badenoch told them: ‘If you want us to have a debate I’m very happy for us to have a debate. I think people need to know what it is I am talking about, you’re both talking over me, excuse me, let me explain what my policy is.’

After receiving a quiet apology from Mr Balls she went on: ‘I want to make sure that those young people who are paying and paying and their debt is not going down get a relief. If you think there is a better offer, let’s look at it.’

She added that Rachel Reeves freezing the thresholds meant ‘the whole student loan system is not working properly and someone has to do something’, adding: ‘The thing that shocks me is that the minute I say ‘well let’s do something’, everyone says ‘ah well no, no, no, this is not right’. We are going round in circles.’

Viewers jumped on the behaviour shown by the two men, with one saying: ‘UK TV has really hit a low when this kind of behaviour has become acceptable. What happened to manners?’

+8
View gallery

While she was being questions by Mr Balls, Mr Lewis bounded unannounced on to the set and began haranguing her increasing the salary threshold at which repayments start

Another said: ‘Ambushing, shouting and screaming at people is not a solution.’

Anger has been growing at the huge interest rates on so-called ‘Plan B’ loans, with many former students highlighting that their debt is rising despite being in good jobs.

Interest on Plan 2 loans is charged at the rate of RPI inflation plus up to 3 per cent, depending on how much a graduate earns.

The issue has been fuelled by Rachel Reeves announcing at the November Budget that the salary thresholds at which repayments kick in are being frozen at £29,385 for three years.

The Conservatives said they would restrict the rate to RPI only to help higher numbers of graduates pay off their debt.

When Mrs Badenoch raised this point on GMB, Mr Lewis said lowering the rate now ‘will only help those who can clear (their debt) within the 30 years which means lower and middle earning graduates wont benefit from that change’.

‘If you have a billion pounds to help students, the most direct thing that would help all students would be not freezing the repayment threshold, it would be increasing the repayment threshold. While the interest rate is psychologically damaging, I absolutely agree with you, it is really damaging for many people watching…’

Mrs Badenoch interrupted saying: ‘I just don’t think this is fair on young people. I’m sorry Martin, I strongly disagree.

‘Many of these young people have gone to university and taken out courses that were not worth the money, that’s why we’re also talking about apprenticeships. I also did an apprenticeship, I remember more about the apprenticeship than I do the two degrees, so I’m speaking from experience.

‘I did an apprenticeship, I had two degrees, I paid off student loans, I know what it’s like an I think this is the best thing. We have got to start reforming the system and making it better.

‘We can have an argument about the technical details but this is about the principle.

‘What is happening right now is wrong and someone needs to fix it – Conservatives are the only party who have an answer.’

Later she tweeted: ‘Really good to debate Martin Lewis this morning.

‘We both want to see the student loan burden brought down, while Labour hike it up.

‘I’m sticking up for young people in the student loan trap, because no-one else in politics is.’

And Mr Lewis apologised for gatecrashing her appearance, adding: ‘Thank you for being so courteous after the interruption – you handled it far better than I would have the other way round.’

The Tory leader replied: ‘Thank you. I really appreciate that, and honestly, don’t worry. I do love a feisty debate! It helps people understand what the real issues are.’