Ed Balls Announces Summer Break from Good Morning Britain Amid Ofcom Complaints, Will Return in September
Ed Balls has announced that he will be taking a break from his presenting duties on Good Morning Britain for the remainder of the summer, planning to return when co-host Susanna Reid is back in September. The former politician shared the news on Instagram on Sunday, where he posed in his kitchen with a pavlova, reflecting on his week co-hosting the show with Kate Garraway.
“What better way to celebrate the start of summer holidays than with a pavlova – our family favorite,” Ed, 57, wrote. “Loved working with Kate last week during such national turbulent times. I’m back with Susanna at the beginning of September when schools and Parliament return – see you soon.”
Fans were quick to respond to his post, with many wishing him a restful break. One follower commented, “Love you on GMB. Enjoy the next few weeks and see you soon,” while another added, “You are great on GMB. Will miss you but have a fabulous summer break.”
Ed’s recent stint on Good Morning Britain made headlines after Ofcom received over 8,000 complaints about an episode in which he interviewed his wife, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper. While some complaints were related to the exchange between Ed and Yvette, others focused on his and Kate Garraway’s interview with Labour MP Zarah Sultana, reports HELLO!.
During the interview, Zarah emphasized the importance of labeling last week’s riots and violent disorder as “Islamophobic” as well as racist. She also criticized an article Ed had previously written about immigration. After the show, Zarah took to social media, writing, “The sneering contempt of ‘journalists’ will never stop me from calling out racism and Islamophobic hate.”
A spokesperson for Ofcom stated, “We are assessing the complaints against our broadcasting rules but are yet to decide whether or not to investigate.”
Meanwhile, ITV defended Ed’s interview with his wife, calling it “balanced, fair and duly impartial.” In a statement, a spokesperson said, “Following a weekend of rioting and national unrest, GMB featured a range of interviews and discussions around this national emergency on [Monday’s] program, which included James Cleverly, shadow home secretary, and Yvette Cooper, the home secretary. We are satisfied that these interviews were balanced, fair, and duly impartial.”
Ed Balls has been a permanent presenter on Good Morning Britain since July 2022, after initially appearing as a guest host in November 2021. He regularly co-hosts alongside Susanna Reid and Kate Garraway.