The most complained about TV moment of the year has been revealed, after racking up more than 17,000 Ofcom complaints.
There’s been plenty of controversial TV over the last 12 months, including ‘vile’ behaviour on Big Brother, shocking GB News comments, and lots happening on Love Island.
But one particularly ‘disgraceful’ TalkTV interview topped the list, after presenter Julia Hartley-Brewer triggered outrage and was accused of being ‘unprofessional and rude’ during an interview with Palestinian MP Dr Mustafa Barghouti.
They had been discussing the ongoing war in Gaza after a senior Hamas official was killed.
The clip was widely shared online and condemned, as the conversation turned to chaos, with one X user calling Hartley-Brewer: ‘The most arrogant and clownish journalist ever.’
‘This creature should be fired. Absolute disgrace,’ another wrote.
During the chat, she interrupted him continuously, and screamed at him: ‘For the love of god let me finish a sentence man!’
She also shouted: ‘Maybe you’re not used to women talking, I don’t know, but I’d like to finish the sentence!’
At one point, she held her head in her hands and looked around the studio, and in the final seconds, finished with: ‘Sorry to have been a woman speaking to you but there you are.’
Watchdog Ofcom released their annual findings to reveal 69,080 complaints were made this year, with 17,366 made against Julia Hartley-Brewer on TalkTV on January 3.
The interview came just two months before TalkTV was taken off air for good, just two years after launching.
After assessing the complaints, Ofcom said it told TalkTV to ‘take extra care to ensure that potentially highly offensive comments are editorially justified’.
Following Ofcom’s list, Hartley-Brewer wrote on X: ‘Top of the @ofcom league!
‘The complaints were not upheld. Isn’t *everything* anyone says now “potentially highly offensive” to someone else in our brave new world?’
ITV’s Good Morning Britain came in second place with more than 16,000 complaints about Ed Balls interviewing his wife Yvette Cooper, who is also the home secretary, in August, with viewers claiming their marital status may have prevented him from being ‘impartial’.
Several called the interview ‘ridiculous’, ‘insane’ and a ‘stupid editorial decision’.
Sorry, this video isn't available any more.
The same episode also saw viewers furious over Ed’s interview with MP Zarah Sultana over the UK race riots, with the politician stressing the importance of the government labelling the violent disorder as ‘Islamaphobic’ as well as racist.
She later accused the other guests and hosts of ‘sneering’, while viewers said they were ‘disgusted’ and ‘uncomfortable’ watching the interaction.
In total, the episode had 16,851 complaints.
Following the complaints from viewers when the show aired in August, ITV issued a response, saying: ‘Following a weekend of rioting and national unrest, GMB featured a range of interviews and discussion around this national emergency on today’s programme which included James Cleverly, shadow home secretary, and Yvette Cooper, home secretary.
‘We are satisfied that these interviews were balanced, fair and duly impartial.’
Sorry, this video isn't available any more.
Balls had been accused of giving Cooper the ‘softest interview you could imagine’, especially in comparison to the way in which he probed Sultana, with viewers claiming he interrupted and disputed her.
Another Good Morning Britain episode this year racked up 1,777 Ofcom complaints after a ‘shouting match’ about XL bully dogs descended into chaos.
This edition, which aired on 30 May, came in fourth place on Ofcom’s list.
The heated argument forced host Ranvir Singh to step in and bring the clash to a close after one guest stated the breed of dog should be put down, following the news that XL bullies attacked two boys in separate incidents in Hull and South Wales, and elsewhere a woman in her 50s was mauled to death by two of the dogs.
Good Morning Britain certainly wasn’t the only ITV programme to rack up complaints this year, with hundreds from the likes of Love Island and Big Brother.
Another Good Morning Britain moment which has made the top ten list was an interview with Nigel Farage in October, which sparked 705 complaints.
Love Island managed to rack up 1,832 complaints, making it ITV’s third most complained about programme.
The villa this year hosted Joey Essex, though comments he made and his appearance on the show sparked backlash.
Following in sixth place, after complaints on Emmerdale over a domestic abuse storyline, Big Brother received more than 1,300 complaints, including over Marcello’s behaviour, which was branded ‘misogynistic’.
747 of those were made on an episode from November 7, after a housemate was accused of making a joke with ‘racist’ connotations.
553 complaints were also made about one episode featuring a pro-Palestine T-shirt, which was later edited out by ITV, sparking further outrage.
Winner Ali’s Wear The Peace T-shirt, which featured a symbol of solidarity with Palestine, was edited out, though the housemates had no idea.
Even This Morning had a few, and, following on from backlash over Vanessa Feltz’s coeliac disease comments last year, received more than 1,200 complaints.
The earliest this year came after Alison Hammond called children ‘naughty’, while more recently, a guest was branded ‘repugnant’, with viewers complaining over ITV platforming them.
Controversial OnlyFans star Bonnie Blue, who makes consensual adult videos with ‘barely legal teens’ and makes £600,000 a month, horrified viewers with her comments.
But on Ofcom’s list, in ninth place was an episode on May 28, after an outburst from Nick Ferrari about nut allergies caused 647 complaints.
Meanwhile, new ITV series Piglets also sparked complaints with viewers calling it ‘simply offensive’, and elsewhere, fiery Loose Women debates didn’t escape Ofcom either.
Last year, Ofcom revealed that one episode of Good Morning Britain became the third most complained about of 2023, after host Richard Madeley questioned MP Layla Moran in October about the conflict in Gaza.
It was also revealed this year that the most complained about moment ever has been from Good Morning Britain too, after 54,595 complaints in 2021 for Piers Morgan’s comments claiming he ‘didn’t believe’ Meghan Markle saying she suffered from suicidal thoughts.
The 10 most complained-about programmes of 2024:
1. Julia Hartley-Brewer’s exchange with Palestinian politician Dr Mustafa Barghouti on her TalkTV show (17,366 complaints).
2. An interview with Coventry South MP Zarah Sultana and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper on ITV’s Good Morning Britain (16,851 complaints).
3. Behaviour of Love Island contestants Joey Essex and Sean Stone (1,832 complaints).
4. Debate about whether XL bullies should be put down on ITV’s Good Morning Britain (1,777 complaints).
5. An Emmerdale storyline featuring a dog being poisoned (1,193 complaints).
6. A comment made by Big Brother contestant Sarah which some viewers considered to be racially offensive (747 complaints).
7. ITV general election debate between Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer (710 complaints).
8. Interview with Reform UK leader Nigel Farage on ITV’s Good Morning Britain (705 complaints).
9. Comments made by broadcaster Nick Ferrari on ITV’s This Morning which some viewers claimed trivialised nut allergies (647 complaints).
10. Complaints about imagery on a Big Brother contestant’s T-shirt which was claimed to feature a pro-Palestine symbol (553 complaints).
However, Ofcom didn’t find that the programme broke broadcasting rules, adding: ‘We reminded ITV of the need to take greater care around content discussing mental health and suicide in future.’
More Trending
Last year, Laurence Fox’s now-infamous vile rant on GB News topped Ofcom’s most-complained list, after receiving 8,867 complaints.
In 2022, Love Island picked up 2,630 complaints relating to ‘alleged misogynistic and bullying behaviour by some contestants in the villa’, while Matt Hancock reaching the I’m A Celebrity final came in second place.
A version of this article was originally published on December 5.
Good Morning Britain airs weekdays from 6am on ITV1.
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
Deals of the Day
Save £300 on the 'Ferrari of lawn mowers' that gardeners are calling 'unbelievable'
Mango’s tote bag looks far more premium than it’s £22 price tag
'Extremely good' Morrisons wines under £13 you need to try this summer
‘Like sleeping on a cloud’ hail shoppers as £12 mattress protector scores glowing reviews
Our Place launches unmissable Spring sale and it’s prime time to upgrade your kitchenware
MORE: The Metro daily cartoon by Guy Venables
MORE: ‘Is angling harmful? How would you like a hook in your lip?’
