GMB named most complained about TV show of 2021 thanks to Piers Morgan and Dr Hilary Jones
Ofcom reveals it’s been a record year for TV complaints
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Your support makes all the difference.The TV shows that attracted the most complaints this year have been revealed by media watchdog Ofcom.
Ofcom has revealed that 2021 saw a record number of complaints after receiving 150,00 in all.
The rise in complaints can largely be attributed to two TV moments: Piers Morgan’s remarks about Meghan Markle following her interview with Oprah Winfrey and Faye Winter’s treatment of Teddy Soares in ITV2 series Love Island.
It’s worth noting that the list of complaints does not include ones made to the BBC as those are handled separately by the channel.
Topping the list for 2021 is Piers Morgan’s controversial comments on Markle.
Morgan was addressing Markle’s interview with Winfrey on Good Morning Britain, and walked off the episode after being called out by co-presenter Alex Beresford. Days later, he quit the show.
Fifty-four thousand people complained about the incident, with the actual Meghan and Harry interview becoming the fourth most controversial TV moment of the year, with 6,486 complaints.
In second place, with 24,921 complaints, is Love Island due to Faye’s behaviour after incorrectly believing Teddy, with whom she was coupled up, to be cheating on her with another contestant.
Love Island was also accountable for the fifth most-complained about TV moment of 2021 following an episode that saw producers inadvertently cause Faye to believe Teddy was cheating on her by sending a fabricated postcard into the villa.
This episode received 4,337 complaints.
The third most-complained about TV moment was the documentary What Happened to Your Face, with 7,125 people taking exception to the show’s comments about the appearance of several celebrities.
ITV morning shows took up the remaining five spots, with Lorraine in sixth place thanks to Dr Hilary Jones’s comments regarding the figures of unvaccinated people who were in hospital with Covid-19.
Jones was also at the centre of the eighth most-complained about moment following an appearance on Good Morning Britain, in which he criticised a fake Covid-19 information leaflet that Richard Madeley went on to tear up.
The increase in Ofcom complaints has been driven by Good Morning Britain, which features on the list four times, and Love Island.
Here is the list of the 10 most complained about TV programmes of 2021:
1. Good Morning Britain (Piers Morgan’s Meghan Markle comments) – 54,595
2. Love Island (Faye’s treatment of Teddy) – 24.921
3. What Happened to Your Face (remarks made about appearance of specific celebrities) – 7,125
4. Harry and Meghan’s Oprah Winfrey interview – 6,486
5. Love Island (producers sending Case Amor postcard into villa) – 4,337
6. Lorraine (Dr Hilary Jones’ comments about unvaccinated Covid0-19 patients) – 3,769
7. Good Morning Britain (Piers Morgan’s general comments) – 3,249
8. Good Morning Britain (Dr Hilary Jones criticising fake Covid-19 leaflet) – 2,632
9. Good Morning Britain (A debate about “ditching unvaccinated friends”) – 2,104
10. This Morning (A segment titled “How to lose the lockdown pounds”) – 1,942
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