This Morning: Nick Ferrari jokes Ashley James’ children ‘need a smack’

Nick Ferrari became embroiled in a huge row with Ashley James on Tuesday’s This Morning as he told her that her ‘kids needed a smack’. The radio host, 66, often clashes with former Made In Chelsea star Ashley, 38, over political views but things became even more heated as they discussed the push for England to follow on from Wales and Scotland and introduce an official smacking ban.

The conversation then turned to schools banning parents from sports days and Ashley admitted that her children are going through a very ‘competitive’ stage at the moment.

Ashley, who has Alfie and Ada with her partner Tommy Andrews, said: “This isn’t about policing parents’ behaviour, it’s about safeguarding and protecting dignity. But my kids are really into winning at the moment, they’re two and four, and they’re trying to throw each other down the stairs so I’m really trying to hammer home that it’s not about winning, but the thought that there’s parents shouting…”

Nick insisted he was ‘only kidding’ ( 
Image:
ITV)
Hosts Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard then spoke about the idea of good winners and good losers but Nick interjected: “Ashley, I’m a little nervous about your two and four year olds trying to throw each other down the stairs. They possibly need a good smack!”

He quickly added: “I’m only kidding, I’m only kidding!” and Ashley added that Nick, who joined via video link, was ‘very brave’ when not in the studio.

Just moments earlier, Ashley and Nick had locked horns on the topic in question to start with. “When you’re smacking, it doesn’t teach empathy or self-control, and it underpins theatre,” Ashley said.

“If we want a compassionate and kind society, and if we look at domestic violence and violence against women, all of these things, I’d say that something has clearly gone wrong.

“I’m not saying that’s down to smacking but I just wanna be really clear that you can have very, very clear boundaries and discipline children and it doesn’t have to be punishment, and I would argue that this actually is the government’s fault.”

But Nick cut in: “But what is the law you want, Ashley? Hold on, respectfully! If a child is smacked to a certain degree, then quite rightfully, we have laws in place, so what do you want this law to actually do?

“Would you allow a law, effectively, for a police officer to arrest a mother and father because they tapped their child’s legs?”

Ashley replied: “It would be the same as what would happen with an adult, because I think children deserve the same respect,” but Nick hit back: “I’m not going to get arrested for tapping Ben’s arm!”

When Ashley pointed out that the law isn’t about tapping and that if he were to “smack” her, then the police would be involved, undeterred Nick added: “So you want to live in a country where a police officer can knock on the door and threaten a mum or dad with arrest because they’ve smacked the child on the back of the legs and not even left a mark?”

Ashley shouted over Nick to continuously protest that parents ‘should not smack children’ and even though Nick kept asking her to ‘hold on,’ she did not allow him to get a word in.

When Ashley suggested that science and research was the key, Nick said: “But what do you think a law does Ashley?” to which she replied: “I do understand what laws do but I think you’re taking it to a very extreme level. Most people don’t agree with smacking. I fully agree that people should not smack children.”