Richard Madeley: cutting off Gavin Williamson live on air is the most popular thing I've ever done

Tom Powell31 May 2018
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Richard Madeley has claimed cutting off defence secretary Gavin Williamson during a live TV interview was the “most popular” thing he’s ever done.

The veteran TV host pulled the plug on his chat with the Tory minister for refusing to give “straight answers” when challenged over the Salisbury poisoning on ITV’s Good Morning Britain.

He said it was the first time he had ever cut off an interviewee during three decades of hosting news and discussion programmes.

Writing in the Guardian, Madeley said: “It tells you how bad things have got; how well drilled today’s politicians have become at evasion, obfuscation and manipulation during interviews.”

Richard Madeley was filling in for Piers Morgan on Good Morning Britain

He had asked the defence secretary three times whether he regretted having told Russia to “shut up and go away” in the aftermath of the Salisbury attack, but didn’t once receive an answer.

“By contumaciously refusing to answer my questions, Williamson was sending out the subtle but crystal-clear message: 'You’re not running this interview, Madeley. I am,'" wrote the TV host.

“I’ve had an overwhelmingly positive response to my snap decision to unceremoniously boot the defence secretary off air; in the news media, social media and on the street. I think it’s the most popular thing I’ve ever done on TV.”

Richard Madeley said he'd never before cut off an interviewee during his 30-year TV career
PA Archive/PA Images

He said the quality of debate on TV would “dramatically improve” if all interviewers cut off politicians who don’t answer questions.

The incident began when Madeley, who was standing in for Piers Morgan on the show, said: “Do you regret telling Russia to 'shut up and go away'? Mr Williamson please answer the question.”

Mr Williamson replied: “I think what everyone saw is Russia’s actions against our citizens in a city here in the United Kingdom...”

“You’re telling us what we know,” Mr Madeley, 62, interrupted. “We know what happened. We know what happened in Salisbury...the question is...I’ll try it one more time ... do you regret using very casual Trump-esque language like “shut up and go away”?

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson is known to keep his pet tarantula on his desk in a glass tank
Getty Images

Mr Williamson said: “Well what was right is actually we came together with our allies...”

“Okay, alright. Alright. Interview terminated because you won’t answer the question,” Mr Madeley said before crossing through a list of interview questions.

Turning to viewers he said: “It would have been so easy to have said ‘no I don’t’, ‘I think it was an appropriate expression’ or to say ‘on reflection I should have been a bit more formal’. Easy.”

Mr Williamson, 41, was derided when he told reporters in March this year how Moscow should “go away and shut up” after they had criticised the expulsions of diplomats after the Salisbury attack and comparisons were made to a new Cold War.

Yulia Skripal, 33, and her former Russian spy father Sergei, 66, were poisoned with a nerve agent on March 4 in the Wiltshire city and the incident sparked a major diplomatic row with Russia.

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