On Good Morning Britain, Richard Madeley was chastised for equating climate protestors to paedophiles.
The Richard and Judy actor, 66, made the off-color joke while co-hosting the ITV morning news show with Susanna Reid, 53, on Tuesday.
The panellists were debating a new vow by a group of about 120 attorneys to refuse to prosecute nonviolent climate activists or represent firms seeking fossil fuel projects.
Madeley had controversially introduced the programme one hour before it was scheduled to show, asking the barristers who had signed the “declaration of conscience” if they were “still happy to defend paedophiles.”
‘If these individuals, these barristers and attorneys, have said they would not prosecute – they simply will not even begin in a court of law – someone who has glued themselves to the road as part of a Just Stop Oil demonstration, are they still willing to defend, say, a paedophile?’ he asked.
Madeley compared campaigners to paedophiles for the second time when addressing the commitment on GMB, which saw two attorneys on opposing sides of the argument fight.
He said: ‘If you refuse to prosecute someone, as you are doing, because you agree with their political principles or ecological principles.
‘Would you therefore defend someone the next day you knew had committed a serious paedophile act? Would you defend them?’
The comments have sparked backlash on Twitter, with one exasperated viewer asking: ‘Richard Madeley- have you actually heard yourself?’
‘Note to Richard Madeley – if you do not have anything sensible to say please don’t say anything,’ a social media account wrote, while another added: ‘Richard Madeley on GMB TV – never afraid to ask the most stupid questions.’
A fourth remarked: ‘It’s so cringe-inducing when intelligent people from other countries agree to appear on #gmb and then get asked questions by Richard Madeley. I feel so embarrassed for all involved.’
Many others called the comments “ignorant” and “stupid,” and numerous viewers compared Madeley to Steve Coogan’s character, Alan Partridge.
It’s not the first time Madeley has been chastised by viewers in recent months after referring to Gareth Thomas’ ex-partner Ian Baum’s HIV diagnosis as Aids.
‘My mouth just dropped when Richard said Ian has aids when he told him he has HIV. I’m livid!,’ one said.
Source My Celebrity Life.