This Morning has been hit by Ofcom complaints following a row over vaccine passports, which saw presenter Alison Hammond pretend to walk off the show.
The regulator received 145 complaints over the episode on Friday March 26, which saw guest Beverley Turner claim that the passports would lead to members of the public being micro-chipped.
The discussion led to a heated debate between television and radio presenter Beverley and fellow guests Matthew Wright.
The discussion came after it was revealed that ministers looking at introducing a requirement for health certificates that prove a person has been vaccinated to gain access to venues.
Beverley said: ‘Where this ends – and I know it sounds like the stuff of madness – but this does end with a little tiny microchip in our hands so that it’s easier to get in the pub and out?’
Speaking to Matthew, she said: ‘You can put your head in your hands, but unless you can tell me why and what the evidence base is for this app. This is a technological invasion into our lives. It is illogical.’
This Morning received 145 complaints (Picture: ITV)
She went on to say: ‘We should have allowed all the young people last summer to develop a herd immunity.’
Matthew, hit back: ‘I did listen to Bev as quietly as I could, talking quite frankly, about paranoid conspiracy nonsense with an evident lack of science.
‘The idea that you’re still talking about herd immunity which does not exist without vaccination. You are talking about, essentially, neo-Nazi ideas where the weak die and only the strong survive. It is an absolute outrage.”
Alison appeared to try and leave her desk due to the awkwardness of the conversation during the programme, with Dermot jokingly saying: ‘Get back here, Hammond.’
Ofcom said: ‘The majority of complaints objected to messaging on Coronavirus from a guest.’
Meanwhile, Ofcom complaints regarding Piers Morgan’s comments about Meghan Markle’s mental health on Good Morning Britain are continuing to soar.
After smashing records with 57,121 complaints last week, the television watchdog has confirmed that a further 466 people have taken issue with scenes that aired on March 8 and 9.
This Morning airs on weekdays at 10am on ITV.
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What is Ofcom and what does it cover?
Ofcom is the regulator for the communications services that we use and rely on each day.
The watchdog makes sure people get the best from their broadband, home phone and mobile services, as well as keeping an eye on TV and radio.
Ofcom deals with most content on television, radio and video-on-demand services, including the BBC. However, if your complaint is about something you saw or heard in a BBC programme, you may need to complain to the BBC first.
Its rules for television and radio programmes are set out in the Broadcasting Code.
The rules in the Broadcasting Code also apply to the BBC iPlayer.
This Broadcasting Code is the rule book that broadcasters have to follow and it covers a number of areas, including; protecting the under-18s, protecting audiences from harmful and/or offensive material and ensuring that news, in whatever form, is reported with due accuracy and presented with due impartiality.
Audiences can complain to Ofcom if they believe a breach of the Broadcasting Code has been made.
Every time Ofcom receives a complaint from a viewer or listener, they assess it to see if it needs further investigation.
If Ofcom decide to investigate, they will include the case in a list of new investigations, published in the Broadcast and On Demand Bulletin.
An investigation is a formal process which can take some time depending on the complexity of the issues involved.
Ofcom can also launch investigations in the absence of a complaint from a viewer or listener.
Credit: Original article published here.The post This Morning hit with Ofcom complaints over vaccine passport row appeared on My Celebrity Life.