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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Piers Morgan criticised for laughing as Good Morning Britain guest swore on air | Piers Morgan criticised for laughing as Good Morning Britain guest swore on air |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Piers Morgan has been criticised by the media regulator for laughing as a Good Morning Britain guest repeatedly used the F-word live on air. | Piers Morgan has been criticised by the media regulator for laughing as a Good Morning Britain guest repeatedly used the F-word live on air. |
| Ofcom decided not to take action against Good Morning Britain as Morgan and co-presenter Susanna Reid had quickly aired apologies, but said it was “concerned” that he had laughed after the guest used the expletive. | Ofcom decided not to take action against Good Morning Britain as Morgan and co-presenter Susanna Reid had quickly aired apologies, but said it was “concerned” that he had laughed after the guest used the expletive. |
| Morgan and Reid interviewed Alain Robert, who is known as “the French Spiderman” for his daredevil climbing exploits, on a live video-link from Dubai. | Morgan and Reid interviewed Alain Robert, who is known as “the French Spiderman” for his daredevil climbing exploits, on a live video-link from Dubai. |
| Related: Susanna Reid apologises over swearing in Piers Morgan's Good Morning Britain debut | Related: Susanna Reid apologises over swearing in Piers Morgan's Good Morning Britain debut |
| Morgan asked Robert: “You’ve done 100 big climbs now, skyscrapers. How many times have you thought ‘I might die here’? How many times have you thought ‘This might be the moment I fall’?” | Morgan asked Robert: “You’ve done 100 big climbs now, skyscrapers. How many times have you thought ‘I might die here’? How many times have you thought ‘This might be the moment I fall’?” |
| Robert replied: “Well, many times. But the thing is, as long as you’re not falling ... It’s just like a fucking warning, like you’re nearly falling ... I’m quite good at that, just saving my ass.” | Robert replied: “Well, many times. But the thing is, as long as you’re not falling ... It’s just like a fucking warning, like you’re nearly falling ... I’m quite good at that, just saving my ass.” |
| Laughing, Morgan said: “You see, you are a nutcase, but a brilliant nutcase. This world is full of brilliant explorers over the centuries, and you’re one of those guys. It’s mad to normal people like us, but to you, this is what you love doing, isn’t it?” | Laughing, Morgan said: “You see, you are a nutcase, but a brilliant nutcase. This world is full of brilliant explorers over the centuries, and you’re one of those guys. It’s mad to normal people like us, but to you, this is what you love doing, isn’t it?” |
| Robert said: “I think, if I wasn’t doing that kind of stuff, life would be boring. You know, I need to feel pretty much dead to feel like that I am fucking alive.” | |
| Morgan laughed again, and Reid said: “OK ... slightly more frank language at this time in the morning than we’re normally used to on Good Morning Britain so apologies for that.” | Morgan laughed again, and Reid said: “OK ... slightly more frank language at this time in the morning than we’re normally used to on Good Morning Britain so apologies for that.” |
| Morgan, who was standing in for presenter Ben Shephard for the week, said: “Did he just use the ...? He did, didn’t he?”, to which Reid replied: “Well, I think we’ll just gloss over that, apologies.” | Morgan, who was standing in for presenter Ben Shephard for the week, said: “Did he just use the ...? He did, didn’t he?”, to which Reid replied: “Well, I think we’ll just gloss over that, apologies.” |
| The former CNN anchor continued: “Alain, you’re a tremendously brave guy. You go and recover now from your latest climb, and we are going to try and recover from your choice use of language, which is a little alarming for us at this time in the morning.” | The former CNN anchor continued: “Alain, you’re a tremendously brave guy. You go and recover now from your latest climb, and we are going to try and recover from your choice use of language, which is a little alarming for us at this time in the morning.” |
| Ofcom recieved complaints about the incident, and said: “In this case, the word ‘fucking’ was broadcast twice before the watershed. There was therefore a clear breach [of the broadcasting code].” | Ofcom recieved complaints about the incident, and said: “In this case, the word ‘fucking’ was broadcast twice before the watershed. There was therefore a clear breach [of the broadcasting code].” |
| It decided not to take further action due to mitigating factors including the fact that Reid was quick to apologise to viewers after the second time the F-word was used. | It decided not to take further action due to mitigating factors including the fact that Reid was quick to apologise to viewers after the second time the F-word was used. |
| However, it added: “We did have concerns … that the effect of these apologies were lessened to a degree by the fact that Piers Morgan laughed after Alain Robert said ‘fucking’ for the second time and then further reacted, as ITV said, ‘more humorously’.” | |
| ITV admitted that the pre-interview briefing given to Robert was not as good as if he had been in the London studio, adding that he was not “specifically warned not to use offensive language”. | ITV admitted that the pre-interview briefing given to Robert was not as good as if he had been in the London studio, adding that he was not “specifically warned not to use offensive language”. |
| The broadcaster edited out the bad language in the one-hour timeshifted airing of the show on ITV1+1, as well on the ITV Player service. | |
| “Following our investigation, we found that ITV had taken appropriate steps to limit offence to viewers,” said a spokesman for Ofcom. “This included issuing several apologies broadcast immediately after the incident and at the end of the interview. As a result, we consider the matter resolved.” | “Following our investigation, we found that ITV had taken appropriate steps to limit offence to viewers,” said a spokesman for Ofcom. “This included issuing several apologies broadcast immediately after the incident and at the end of the interview. As a result, we consider the matter resolved.” |
| Meanwhile, Ofcom decided a Good Morning Britain interview featuring Nigel Farage was not in breach of the broadcasting code. | |
| During the six-minute interview, Ukip leader Farage was asked about his chances of winning the Thanet South constituency in the runup to the election. | During the six-minute interview, Ukip leader Farage was asked about his chances of winning the Thanet South constituency in the runup to the election. |
| Farage appeared before he was defeated by the Conservative candidate Craig Mackinlay. | Farage appeared before he was defeated by the Conservative candidate Craig Mackinlay. |
| Ofcom looked at whether the programme had been impartial because it did not reflect the position of the other candidates. | Ofcom looked at whether the programme had been impartial because it did not reflect the position of the other candidates. |
| But it said that the item did not engage constituency reporting rules because there was only a “brief reference to Mr Farage’s constituency ... in the context of his position as a national party leader”. | But it said that the item did not engage constituency reporting rules because there was only a “brief reference to Mr Farage’s constituency ... in the context of his position as a national party leader”. |
| Ofcom has now given guidance to ITV to take care when including candidates in election programmes. | Ofcom has now given guidance to ITV to take care when including candidates in election programmes. |
| A spokesperson said: “Ofcom investigated whether this programme was duly impartial and concluded that it did not break broadcasting rules. | A spokesperson said: “Ofcom investigated whether this programme was duly impartial and concluded that it did not break broadcasting rules. |
| “While the interview with Mr Farage touched on his prospects of winning the Thanet South parliamentary constituency, without reflecting the position of other candidates, we found it didn’t engage the constituency reporting rules. | “While the interview with Mr Farage touched on his prospects of winning the Thanet South parliamentary constituency, without reflecting the position of other candidates, we found it didn’t engage the constituency reporting rules. |
| “This was because the brief reference to Mr Farage’s constituency arose in the context of his position as a national party leader. | “This was because the brief reference to Mr Farage’s constituency arose in the context of his position as a national party leader. |
| “Also, the interview as a whole focused on wider policy issues at national level, rather than those in this constituency.” | “Also, the interview as a whole focused on wider policy issues at national level, rather than those in this constituency.” |