Lorraine Kelly’s comments about Nigel Farage’s appearance have been met with over 350 complaints to Ofcom, the regulator confirmed to GB News.
Farage is currently taking part in I’m A Celebrity and has hit headlines for a number of his antics in camp – from tense debates about Brexit to leaving his campmates flustered by flashing his bottom in the shower.
However, during an episode of Lorraine on Tuesday, November 21, Kelly mocked Farage’s appearance and acted surprised to discover the GB News star’s age.
Kelly’s remarks arose during a conversation with former I’m A Celeb star and politician Edwina Currie who’d shared her thoughts on why Farage was taking part in the series.
“I think he’s in there because he thinks he can enhance his reputation,” Currie explained. “He’s seen as a responsible, intelligent, and worthy person of some kind or other. He’s only, what 59? He’s got plenty ahead of him if he wants to get going again.”
Acting surprised, Kelly interjected in shock and said: “Is he?! Is he only 59? I thought he was a hell of a lot older than that.
Lorraine Kelly slammed Nigel Farage’s appearance on her talk show
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“That’s astonishing, that just shows you get the face you deserve! You really do.”
Kelly and her guests in the studio laughed at the remarks but a number of viewers took to X, formerly Twitter, to brand the comments as “disgusting” and “body-shaming”.
It’s since transpired other viewers sent their complaints directly to broadcasting regulator Ofcom which received 354 complaints about the episode.
Ofcom confirmed to GB News that the 354 complaints “related to a comment by host Lorraine Kelly about Nigel Farage’s appearance”.
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Nigel Farage has taken part in a number of I’m A Celeb tasks
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She also came under fire for asking what Farage was doing going to South London and saying: “So everyone hates you for no reason?”
Farage and Rose became embroiled in the tense debate about the issue after the latter had read “on the internet” that the GB News star was “anti-immigrant”.
The 59-year-old did his best to get his argument across that he wasn’t “anti-immigrant” but was concerned with an “overpopulation” issue.
However, Rose protested that she was “one of the numbers” during the debate, and in the end, the pair decided to “agree to disagree”.
