GMB in Ofcom chaos after WW2 veteran left devastated at state of UK
GMB has sparked 452 Ofcom complaints after being accused of “disrespecting” a WW2 veteran who has been left despondent by the state of the country.
100-year-old veteran says World War II sacrifice ‘wasn’t worth it’
Good Morning Britain has been hit with 452 Ofcom complaints for the way they handled an interview with 100-year-old WWII veteran Alec Penstone. In an emotional moment as he discussed the war in advance of Remembrance Sunday on November 9, Mr Penstone admitted he felt winning the war “wasn’t worth it”.
He said: “My message is, I can see in my mind’s eye those rows and rows of white stones and all the hundreds of my friends who gave their lives, for what? The country of today?”
Mr Penstone continued: “No, I’m sorry – but the sacrifice wasn’t worth the result of what it is now. What we fought for was our freedom, but now it’s a darn sight worse than when I fought for it.” Presenter Kate Garraway interjected at the time: “Alec, I’m sorry you feel like that and I want you to know that all the generations that have come since, including me and my children, are so grateful for your bravery and all the other service personnel.
Alec Penstone appeared on GMB to lament about the state of the country (Image: ITV)
“It’s our job now to make it the country that you fought for, and we will do.”
He replied to her: “It’s so wonderful to know there are people like you who spread the word around to the younger generations.”
Viewers were left frustrated by the way Garraway and Adil Ray held the interview, as one fan penned: “Well done Alec for saying how it is but as usual they try and cut him off with ‘oh sorry about that’ and talk over him and talk to him like a child.”
Another added: “Painful to watch, appalling and disrespectful from the interviewers, you should both be ashamed of yourselves.”
A third raged: “What do you mean by that though? What a ridiculous question to ask a 100 year old veteran… Go look back over a 100 years you numpty… Trying to goad a 100-year-old man.”
A fourth erupted: “The female presenter here deserves enormous scorn. This is the most passive aggressive act in the history of television news. She cuts this brave man off because she senses he is about to score a touchdown, all under the guise of supporting him. How about letting him finish?!”
This comes after Adil Ray was reportedly called in by ITV bosses after he congratulated fellow Muslim Zohran Mamdani on his stateside victory, becoming New York mayor, by praising the values behind Sharia law in a social media post.
A source told The Sun that bosses were furious, saying: “GMB execs are pretty cross. His comments sent bosses into a tailspin and he was called in. It was a nightmare as hours earlier ITV revealed it was in talks to sell its broadcasting arm to Sky in a £1.6billion deal. Obviously, they don’t want anything to derail that.”
Ray then posted on social media: “To clarify. I am not actually suggesting Mamdani would implement ‘Sharia law’. But many of the issues he campaigned for are also some of the positive values of Sharia that Muslims try to live by. Something many of us would agree on.’
