August 26th 2024.
The latest Good Morning Britain episode caused quite a stir among viewers, as many were outraged by Richard Madeley's comments defending Prince Andrew. Madeley, who was hosting the show with Charlotte Hawkins on August 26, engaged in a discussion with guests Kwasi Kwarteng and Nells Abbey about current events. Eventually, the conversation turned to Prince Andrew's involvement in the Jeffrey Epstein scandal.
The topic was brought up by a photo of Prince Andrew's 2019 Newsnight interview with Emily Maitlis, which has now been acquired by the National Gallery. Madeley posed the question to his co-host and panelists: "Is it time to lay off Prince Andrew?" He then went on to say, "This photograph was taken just moments after his car crash interview, where he seemed completely oblivious to the impact it would have on his image, future, and reputation."
Madeley also expressed his opinion that the National Portrait Gallery's acquisition of the photo seemed like a deliberate jab at Prince Andrew. He then asked the panel, "Shouldn't we cut the guy a little bit of slack?" and later repeated the question, "Hasn't he suffered enough?"
However, not everyone agreed with Madeley's stance. When Kwarteng pointed out that Prince Andrew has "hit rock bottom," Madeley responded, "He's still a human being." This prompted a strong reaction from viewers, with many taking to social media to condemn Madeley's comments and even calling for him to be fired.
One user, @deanbegley1, went as far as to demand that Madeley be removed from the program, calling him "rude and ignorant" and saying he should be sacked immediately. Another user, @Chr1stop4, questioned whether Madeley was actually defending Prince Andrew.
@CooneyCooney17 expressed their disappointment in Madeley's comments, writing, "Can't believe Madeley is saying we should cut Prince Andrew some slack. No! Switched off!" Similarly, @muttlysaid suggested that people turn off the TV to avoid giving Madeley an audience for his controversial opinions.
@ThomsonFTD also criticized Madeley's comments, calling him "insufferable" and accusing him of being a "nonce protector" for the mainstream media. The rest of the panel seemed hesitant to agree with Madeley, highlighting the division of opinions on the matter.
The backlash against Madeley comes amidst rumors that Prince Andrew is set to lose his security detail at his home on the Windsor estate. It has been speculated for some time that King Charles is planning to evict him from his home, and the loss of his security detail is seen as another step in that direction. Prince Andrew's security has been privately funded by Charles since he lost his publicly-funded police protection in 2022.
The Duke of York has been largely removed from his duties as a working royal since his now-infamous Newsnight interview in 2019, where he addressed his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein and the allegations of sexual abuse against him. He also settled a sexual assault case with Virginia Giuffre in 2022, paying her an estimated £12 million to settle the suit privately. However, he has consistently denied the allegations and claims to have never even met Ms. Giuffre.
When reached for comment, Metro has contacted ITV for comment. And as always, if you have a celebrity story, video, or pictures, feel free to reach out to the entertainment team at the The Agency by email, phone, or by visiting their Submit Stuff page. They'd love to hear from you!
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