GMB IN CRISIS
Woman’s Own columnist Dawn Neesom asks if it’s time to pull the plug on the morning show
Designed to be a colourful, bright and cheerful wake-up to the day, ITV’S Good Morning Britain is becoming more and more Marmite telly. And, in a whirlwind year since the dramatic flouncing out of Piers Morgan, an increasing number of TV insiders – and, more importantly, viewers – are starting to ask one question: is it time to pull the plug?
I believe it would be if the one thing many dread happening – that remaining anchor Susanna Reid follows Piers over to the dark side and joins him on new rival channel talktv – because, make no mistake, he wants her there. As reported, offers have been made.
Together Piers, 56, and Susanna, 51, were the dream team who took an often ‘meh’ breakfast show into a zingy theatre of headline-grabbing debate. Critics have sniped that Susanna – who has been on the show since it started back in 2014 – was just eye-roller-in-chief to Morgan’s rants, and that, since he’s gone, she’s lost even that spark.
But come on. No matter what you think of Susanna, how do you think you’d cope with a constantly revolving door of blokes launched into the seat next to you, from the hilariously random Richard Madeley channelling his inner Alan Partridge to polar opposite Adil Ray (who in real life is genuinely charming and funny)?
Susanna has also been saddled with Alastair Campbell and Ed Balls, two perfectly decent chaps, but with the broadcasting skills of blancmange – the very lumpy kind to boot.
And let’s not forget the usually suave Dr Hilary Jones, who turned into Dr Doom whenever COVID was mentioned. How can any of us unhear his suggestion to wear a face mask while swimming? Alone. In the sea.
Little wonder Susanna’s eye roll has been replaced by wary sideways glances whenever the bloke of the day next to her opens his mouth. It must be like being married, but without the freedom to tell the old man he’s a b***dy idiot.
Let’s be honest here, shall we, though? GMB’S ratings have been as inconsistent as Boris Johnson trying to decide whether he’s at a party or a work event. They took a huge hit after Piers infamously stormed off following an on-air row with weather presenter Alex Beresford over comments about the Duchess of Sussex’s Oprah Winfrey interview.
Watchdog OFCOM received a record 58,000 complaints about the incident,
‘PIERS AND SUSANNA WERE THE DREAM TEAM’
and Piers was ‘helped’ (for which read ‘forced’) to leave the show permanently.
Much to Morgan’s glee, the show’s ratings consequently plummeted and GMB staff and viewers made no secret of the fact they wanted him back, especially as he was cleared of any wrongdoing over his Meghan-and-her-mental-health rant.
But, last summer, ratings bounced back, with Susanna gleefully tweeting that they’d peaked at 1.2 million – a 20% year-on-year increase from when Piers was co-hosting.
It’s been a roller coaster ever since, with even the usually cuddly Eamonn Holmes – new presenter of a rival breakfast show on GB News – appearing to stick the knife in.
Meanwhile, deadly rival BBC Breakfast has consistently beaten GMB in the ratings war. Indeed, the only time the ITV show surged ahead was on the very day Piers walked out.
But does one man really make that much difference?
In GMB’S case, the answer appears to be yes. They need to get someone with balls in there. And, ironically, that could well be another woman. Kate Garraway and Charlotte Hawkins have been stand-in presenters since day one, so maybe a fresh face is needed? How about former political editor Ranvir Singh?
The trouble at the moment is that every man tried out in the co-host role either tries to be as controversial as Piers or goes the opposite way, and it’s just not working. Picking fights with politicians to get headlines only works if that’s really you, and you really mean it. In broadcasting, viewers will swiftly see through you if you’re not being yourself.
Piers always was. And, though he made you want to punch your telly, he also made you pay attention. Susanna conducts brilliant interviews, but I do think the fact that she’s a woman means she’s not taken seriously – which, in 2022, is totally nuts. Telly is still one of the most misogynistic platforms you can ever work on, with even other women favouring men. And why do bloke presenters always sit on the left as you watch? Because we read from left to right, so it’s the most important seat! Why is it always a man and a woman? I’d like to see Susanna paired with another feisty woman rather than ‘Piers Morgan lite’, which is never going to work.
The BBC has to be tame and safe, but it’s boring. And GMB needs to let Susanna be a b**ch occasionally. Piers was allowed to be as nasty as he liked, and even his haters tuned in, if only to complain about him! It was Good Moaning Britain - but it worked. With two new channels sharpening their claws to vie for the others’ breakfast telly viewers, it’s never been more important for GMB to up the ante.
Otherwise it’s going become something else we associate with breakfast.
Toast.
‘WHY IS IT ALWAYS A MAN AND A WOMAN?’