ITV GMB outrage as Ed Balls blasted for 'toe-curling' Farage dig during 'pathetic' Badenoch grilling: 'Sounding as biased as BBC!'

However, within mere moments of the discussion, Ms Reid and Mr Balls decided to question the Tory leader on Reform UK's Nigel Farage rather than her own party's plans or proposed policies.

Ms Reid did open the interview with a pertinent question, asking Ms Badenoch why the Tories' popularity hadn't improved in the year since the last General Election.

Ms Badenoch called for patience among voters and Conservative supporters, claiming some parties have taken "18 years" to mend their image in the public.

She went on to dismiss any similarities with the "weak" Sir Keir Starmer, claiming he was "floundering around" and not looking forward to the year ahead.

Ms Badenoch then insisted the Conservatives were the "only party" to make the correct decisions for the country, something Ms Reid quickly pulled her up on by turning her attention to Mr Farage and Reform UK.

"Leaving the ECHR [European Court of Human Rights] is also a Reform policy, and Reform are absolutely miles away from you in terms of the big issue for voters, which is immigration," Ms Reid interjected.

"Is it time, do you think, to consider a deal with Reform? Would you consider a deal with Reform at the local elections or indeed at the General Election?"

"Absolutely not," Ms Badenoch insisted. "This is not the time to be talking about any sort of deals."

She went on: "What I’m interested in is getting the country working, not just getting back in for its own sake. That’s one of the mistakes that we made before, and Labour’s made that same mistake.

"What are you winning for? What is the plan? What are you going to do? Reform doesn’t have any plans. They’re just saying whatever to whoever. We’re not going to do deals on that basis.

"We are doing deals — sorry — we’re not doing deals. We are talking about what we need to do to get our country working again.

"We have a cheap power plan. We want to abolish stamp duty. We want to see business rates abolished on the high street. Our high streets are closing down. Businesses are screaming.

"You should go to a pub at Christmas — they are terrified of what’s coming. And I want people to feel a sense of optimism, that hope is coming, a plan is arriving, and the Conservatives are bringing it."

Ms Reid then picked up on Ms Badenoch's "slip of the tongue" about doing a deal with Reform UK, to which the Conservative leader doubled down on her stance that there would be "no deals" with Mr Farage's party.

Ms Badenoch repeated: "No deals with Reform. Reform are not a conservative party. They want to spend more money on welfare. We’re talking about reducing welfare. Public spending is out of control.

"They’re talking about random things like nationalising Rolls-Royce, nationalising oil and gas. We’re not a nationalisation party. We believe the talent is out there in the country. Let business be unleashed and deliver the growth.

"It’s not the politicians that are going to do that. It’s actually the people out there in the country."

Mr Balls then decided to wade into the discussion for the first time, but rather than quiz Ms Badenoch on her own party, he brought up the allegations of antisemitism that were made by Mr Farage's fellow school pupils dating back five decades.

Mr Balls even played Ms Badenoch a clip of an interview the ITV show had conducted with one of those alleging antisemitism by Mr Farage.

"Is that ancient history, or does it say something about his character today?" Mr Balls quizzed, prompting Ms Badenoch to reply: "I think what it says about a character is the fact that he has not been able to apologise and say, 'I'm sorry I said that.'

"All of us said and did things that we regret doing, that's why I've made a big play of acknowledging the mistakes the Conservative Party made in our government."

Ms Badenoch moved forward to argue that the debate shouldn't be about what Mr Farage is alleged to have said, but rather whether or not he holds those supposed beliefs to this day.

Both Ms Reid and Mr Balls asked Ms Badenoch if they felt Mr Farage possessed those beliefs. "I don't know, I don't know, this happened before I was born.

"He's an old guy, and he should come out and explain why he can't apologise. I think he needs to apologise."

Mr Farage has persistently denied the allegations levelled at him.

As the conversation moved on, Ms Balls and Ms Reid still couldn't keep Mr Farage out of the conversation, even when they began asking Ms Badenoch about the Tories' stance on the two-child benefit cap.

After Ms Badenoch said the Conservatives would reintroduce the cap, as well as overhaul Labour's tax measures on private schools and farmers, Mr Balls brought up the Reform UK leader yet again.

"Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform, says he won’t promise tax cuts," Mr Balls remarked. "He says it would be irresponsible to do so unless he knows the state of the public finances. But you’re promising to abolish stamp duty, so you are doing what he calls the risky and irresponsible thing."

Ms Badenoch fired back: "But we've said where the money’s coming from. He promised loads of tax cuts — £90 billion of stuff — which he then jumped. If Nigel Farage had won that election, he would have broken every single promise, saying that he couldn’t do it.

"We have a golden economic rule, which says that for every pound that we want to invest, it’s going to come from somewhere else, and we’ll also pay down the deficit. So we have a plan. We’ve laid these things out, and more is going to come."

"So Nigel Farage is really the Liz Truss of British politics?" Mr Balls mocked, to which Ms Badenoch replied: "I don’t know what he is. He’s just saying whatever."

The interview was then promptly brought to a close, but debate about the content of the discussion soon erupted on social media.

The ITV show, and Mr Balls and Ms Reid's line of questioning, in particular, came under heavy fire from viewers, with many furious that they used so much of the time with Ms Badenoch to discuss Mr Farage and the allegations he has already denied, especially given he wasn't in the studio to speak for himself.

One X user ridiculed the hosts: "Desperate to trip up the conservative leader, what a toe curling interview... 'But Farage, Farage!' Ridiculously biased itv. Well done Kemi." (sic)

'Is it time to consider a deal with Reform UK?'@susannareid100 challenges Conservative Party leader @KemiBadenoch about whether the Conservatives would ever do a deal with Reform UK. pic.twitter.com/9ZbgDK98Cf

— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) January 5, 2026

A second agreed: "A pathetic shot at @Nigel_Farage again showing Kemi footage of that guy... about something... 50 years ago."

"Did anyone note the Farage bashing has started by biased Balls!! Every opportunity to badmouth him!!!" a third pointed out, while a fourth shared a series of laughing emojis with the message: "The desperation, interviews Badenoch, talks about Farage. Rent Freeeeeeee."

"What a pointless interview that was more about reform than anything else?" another questioned while a sixth slammed: "What a terrible interview I don’t know who was worse Susanna or Ed and the faces Reid was pulling, what the hell. I think Kemi was looking at them and thinking that she is on the wrong show. Kemi has my vote."

Elsewhere, a seventh pointed out: "Nigel has denied so why would he apologise? I'm sick of you bringing this up. You are sounding biased like the BBC. Let's have Nigel on your show so that he can speak for himself."

And an eighth simply put: "Balls obsessed with Farage #GMB." (sic)