ITV GMB 'bias' row explodes over Ed Balls' 'controversial' Farage probe to Labour MP: 'Trying to save his WIFE'S career!'

Farage has demanded an apology from Kyle for the "below the belt" remarks that he made during the media rounds on Tuesday, but the Labour MP has stood firm and refused, backing the Online Safety Act in the process.

The clash between Farage and Kyle comes at a time that the Labour Party is also facing backlash for announcing its willingness to recognise Palestine as its own state if conditions are met by Hamas and Israel in a bid to stop the conflict in the Middle East.

Balls used the contentious issues to provide the basis for one of his questions to Alexander during Wednesday's GMB. "The Israeli prime minister is clearly upset with you, so is Nigel Farage," Balls began.

"He said what your colleague Peter Kyle said yesterday was so below the belt it's untrue. Nigel Farage wants to get rid of the Online Safety Bill. Can you explain to us what Peter Kyle was saying about why this would aid Jimmy Saviles?"

Alexander replied: "So look, I'm not upset about Nigel Farage being upset with the Labour Party, to be honest. He can dish it out but he can't take it.

"It is a fact that it is the position of the Reform Party that they would repeal the Online Safety Act in its entirety. This was a piece of legislation that created new offences like cyber flashing.

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:

• BBC Breakfast outrage as hosts fail to challenge Peter Kyle over Farage attack: 'Defund NOW!'
• Nigel Farage accuses Keir Starmer of ‘rewarding Hamas’ after dramatic Gaza intervention
• Nigel Farage in fiery showdown with PETA activist over group’s bizarre attempt to ‘rewrite history’

"This is to stop men sending indecent images to 15-year-old children, someone's been convicted of this in the last couple of months.

"And if the Reform Party is saying that they want to repeal that legislation, the logical consequence of that is that these new offences go, that the work that is now happening to stop illegal content being shown to youngsters, all of that stuff around pornography, materials promoting suicide, you know, that as a consequence of the age verification measures that have come in connected to the Online Safety Act.

"This Labour government is protecting children online and yet Nigel Farage and his party want to go backwards, they wants to move us backwards. I know that they're the party of yesteryear, but really I would've thought we could all agree on the importance of taking really serious steps to protect children online."

Seemingly not content with Alexander's answer, Balls pushed further: "You didn't mention the name Jimmy Savile. Is that deliberate? Is that because you don't want to repeat what Peter Kyle said?"

Alexander explained: "Oh no. Not at all, to be honest, Ed. I mean, the point that Peter Kyle, the Technology Secretary, was making yesterday was that it would be inconceivable that if social media was around in the days that Jimmy Savile was grooming children in real life, of course he would've been on a smart phone seeking to get in touch with kids and youngsters.

"And that is what this Labour government is determined to take action on and so, you know, I think Peter Kyle meant that those predators, people like Jimmy Savile, they now operate in the online world as they were operating decades ago in the real world and of course those two things often ferment one another.

"What's going on in online spaces and what's going on in real life and that's why this government is taking very concrete steps to address it and to make the internet safer for our children."

The conversation soon moved on but Balls insistence of bringing up Farage's name and seemingly pushing Alexander to reference Savile didn't go unnoticed by viewers.

In fact, after a clip of the interview was published on X, several social media users used the platform to express their anger at Balls for his line of questioning, especially given his wife, Yvette Cooper, is the current serving Home Secretary.

One X user sarcastically put: "Wonderfully set up by Ed Balls! Great to see him working for the Labour government while trying to save Mrs Balls career."

"Labour again attempting to manipulate by talking nonsense about Nigel Farage. Free speech is being muzzled," a second echoed before a third threatened action: "@edballs‘s wife @YvetteCooperMP works with @peterkyle & Heidi! He doesn’t need clarification!! @Ofcom!!!!"

"Ed Balls showing his Labour side in the interview," a fourth weighed in before a fifth took aim at the GMB host while praising Alexander: "What a sensible response. Balls looking for a bit of titillation and controversy, but firmly put back in his box. Well said, Heidi."

Elsewhere, a sixth suggested Balls needed to adopt the style of one of GB News' most popular presenters. "We need more Beverley Turner type questioning please!! You should invite her to do some training with your staff!!! ‘How to hold a lying government to account’ We need questions that the British public want the answers to! Be more like Beverley," they suggested.

There was some support for Balls and Alexander against Reform, however, with one X user arguing: "Farage only does gesture politics, can’t be bothered with the detail or policy." (sic)

Balls' probe about Farage came just hours after Kyle doubled down on his comments towards the Reform UK leader on Wednesday morning. Kyle reiterated that he feels Farage is on the side of "extreme pornographers peddling hate and peddling violence".

In response from the Reform UK HQ, Farage said of Kyle's remarks: "This is so absolutely disgusting. That is almost beyond belief. Just how low can a Labour Government sink in its desperation?

"Yes, of course they're in trouble, they're well behind us in the opinion polls. But frankly, to say that I would do anything that would in any way aid and abet people like Jimmy Savile is frankly so below the belt.

"But all of this is, of course, deflection. Deflection, because we were told from the very start. And by the way, it’s not the Labour Government that passed this legislation. It was the previous Conservative Government, which is why you’ve barely heard a squeak out of them.

"If it’s designed to protect children, then I suspect it may very well have been drawn up by people who don’t know what they’re doing. I did ask Peter Kyle for an apology, but he’s gone out on X and made it clear he’s not going to back down in any way at all.

"So there we are. You know, if you want to overturn the Online Safety Act, apparently you’re on the side of predators. It’s as simple as that."