Good Morning Britain host Ben Shephard was forced to apologise on air after a debate about female superheroes turned heated. The discussion was sparked by Warner Bros' decision to cancel the new DC film Batgirl, despite its £82 million budget, following poor test screenings.
Film critic Hanna Flint and commentator Dominique Samuels clashed over the role of politics and representation in superhero films. Dominique argued that DC is facing a 'crisis with creativity' and that fans care more about content than political messaging, citing the cancellation of Batgirl and the impending cancellation of Supergirl.
Hanna countered that only around 10 female-led superhero films exist compared to a 'myriad' of male-led ones, and that political agendas have always been central to the genre, referencing Superman's Jewish creators. The disagreement escalated when Hanna described some female superhero costumes as 'hyper-sexualised', prompting Dominique to defend Wonder Woman as a feminine, strong, and sexy character.
Shephard and co-host Charlotte Hawkins intervened, with Shephard apologising to viewers for Hanna's 'excitable language'. He said: 'Apologies – Hanna used some quite excitable language in the moment to describe the outfits of some of the superheroes. If you were offended, we're sorry. We can't use that type of language this time in the morning but it was thoroughly entertaining.'
