Good Morning Britain has received 85 complaints to Ofcom following a heated exchange between host Ed Balls and Green Party leader Zack Polanski. The interview, which aired on Monday, saw Balls, 59, and Polanski, 43, clash over the presenter's political affiliations and the Green Party's policies.
During the broadcast, Polanski referred to Balls as a 'Labour politician', prompting Balls to respond: 'Are you accusing me of being a Labour politician?' Polanski replied that it was 'not even an accusation', but Balls insisted: 'You said I was a Labour politician. Did you mean that or not? I haven't been a Labour minister for 20 years. Unfortunately, Mr Polanski, I lost my seat in 2015 and I've not been a Labour politician for 10 years.'
The exchange grew increasingly strained when Polanski refused to answer questions about his former job as a hypnotherapist, accusing the show of using 'shock-jock tactics'. Balls countered: 'You accused me of being a Labour cabinet minister 16 years ago. And when Susanna [Reid] asked you about something you said 10 years ago, you said it's illegitimate to ask about things you stood for 10 years ago.'
Following the interview, sources claimed ITV bosses were facing pressure to sack Balls. An insider told The Sun: 'It's an easy win for politicians on the show to give the impression Ed is being biased towards them because of who he's married to. Ed knows this, but lost his cool yesterday.' Balls is married to Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper and previously interviewed her on the show in 2024, prompting 16,000 Ofcom complaints.
However, a GMB spokesperson refuted the claims, stating: 'Ed Balls remains a valued member of our presenting team. Any suggestions otherwise are categorically untrue.' The Standard has contacted a representative for Balls for comment.
