ITV viewers have made their feelings very clear on a debate conducted on Wednesday's Good Morning Britain after Susanna Reid and Ed Balls' grilling of Reform UK's Nadine Dorries.
Joining the presenting duo in the studio, Ms Dorries was put on the spot about a number of issues currently facing her new party, as well as her defection itself.
Mr Balls and Ms Reid were keen to learn more from Ms Dorries about her decision to leave the Conservatives to join Nigel Farage at Reform UK, as well as what she thought the future held for the Tories - specifically, Shadow Justice Secretary, Robert Jenrick.
However, when the presenting pair turned their attention to Reform UK and the party's conference last month, their decision to pursue a line of questioning about Lucy Connolly didn't go down well with several watching at home.
ITV GMB: Nadine Dorries faced questions from Susanna Reid and Ed Balls
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Ms Connolly was met by a rapturous applause at the Reform UK conference after being introduced on stage as a "living symbol of two-tier Britain" and "Britain's favourite political prisoner".
Just a few weeks earlier, she had been released from HMP Peterborough after being sentenced to 31 months in custody for inciting racial hatred in a social media post following the Southport murders last year.
Teeing up the probe about Ms Connolly, Ms Reid put to Ms Dorries: "You brought in the Online Safety Act..."
"Yes, proudly," Ms Dorries replied as Ms Reid continued: "It didn’t give you any sort of shiver that somebody is on stage addressing your new party’s conference who was convicted of inciting hatred online?"
ITV GMB: Nadine Dorries stood by Reform UK's decision to have Lucy Connolly at the conference
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Ms Dorries defiantly hit back: "No, absolutely not. In the case of Lucy Connolly — if we want to go into that, we can — but that may use up all the time. In the case of Lucy Connolly, let’s just put that aside and discuss the Online Safety Bill-"
"That was specifically about Lucy Connolly," Ms Reid cut in before Mr Balls piled on: "She did admit that she did it and she was convicted.
"I know you don’t want to use the word 'convicted,' but isn’t that being a politician denying the truth?" he pressed.
Ms Dorries stood firm: "I thought what we saw with Lucy Connolly was a severe reaction to a woman who took down a tweet — who posted a tweet. And we’ve all posted, Ed, tweets that we probably shouldn’t have done-"
ITV GMB: Nadine Dorries was put on the spot by Susanna Reid
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Mr Balls interrupted once again to sarcastically ask: "I've not incited racial hatred. Have you incited racial hatred?"
Ms Dorries hit back: "Ed, they were very different circumstances. It was in the aftermath of the Southport attack, where young girls had been murdered, and I think all of us felt-"
But Mr Balls decided to cut in once more: "People tried to set fire to a hotel to burn people because they were asylum seekers. It was a very different circumstance."
The Reform UK member tried to finish her point: "Ed, I’m just… I’m not sure what the purpose of it is, going down the path of Lucy Connolly."
ITV GMB: Nadine Dorries and Ed Balls clashed
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Mr Balls replied: "I don’t think you should brush off people who are convicted in courts of law of inciting racial hatred and say, 'I don’t use those words.'"
Eventually, Ms Dorries was able to explain: "I don’t brush off people who have been convicted in courts of law.
"But what I think we have seen are people who— there was a whole issue around the time — because this is some time ago now — of two-tier policing. People who were also putting out tweets at the same time and at different times, who were maybe not inciting racial hatred but inciting violence or other things.
"We’ve seen two-tier policing take place in the UK. Lucy Connolly, I think, was made an example of. I think the time she spent in prison was extraordinarily long for what she’d done — for a tweet that she deleted.
Lucy Connolly received a standing ovation at the Reform UK conference
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"I think it’s unfair that she was singled out in that way. There was plenty of stuff on Twitter and on social media on that day. The fact that Lucy Connolly was targeted—"
"You used to be a cabinet minister in the party of law and order," Mr Balls interjected, prompting his co-host to finish his sentence: "But you’re happy to be on a stage where there is a convicted criminal?"
Ms Dorries answered: "I’m happy if we’re going to put somebody into prison for putting a tweet out — which she was convicted of, inciting racial hatred — that we put in prison everybody who did the same. What I want to see is equality and fairness, and meritocracy.
"What I don’t want to see are individuals targeted. I don’t want to see teams of thought police knocking on people’s doors. I don’t want to see young mothers as the people who are chosen to be put in prison.
ITV GMB: Ed Balls was criticial of Reform UK
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"I’d like everybody who put out tweets on that day — who incited racial hatred — to be behind bars. But that isn’t the case. One woman was in Southport."
The line of questioning and the manner in which it was conducted by Ms Reid and Mr Balls quickly sparked fury from ITV viewers watching at home, many of whom flocked to social media to express their dismay.
One X user fumed: "We all know GMB go after the scare factor and not the fair, open discussion factor. Such bad interview skills once again... Let people speak! Ed on a high cos he accidentally got her to answer 1 question."
Elsewhere, a second slammed the grilling: "You had the chance to probe on policy and just chose to just repeatedly jibe about Lucy Connolly - I’d say the majority of the UK support Lucy and believe she was wronged and made an example of by Starmer's dictatorship. You just played into Reform's hands well done." (sic)
Mrs Connolly has previously told GB News that she backs 'Nigel Farage for Prime Minister'
| GB NEWSA third urged: "@Edballs please try and be professional and take that big smirk off your face while you're interrogating your guest."
"Ed Balls should be banned from interviewing MPs," a fourth hit out. "He is full of c**p and doesn't respect anyone. I applaud Nadine for standing her ground this morning. Ed doesn't interview, he badgers and bullies to get answers from other parties, and he excludes Labour MPs. His wife's labour! Mmmm!!"
"Labour Ed b*****s trying to trip Nadine up, isn't GMB supposed to be independent reporting errr?" a fifth questioned before a sixth took action: "@Ofcom The anti-Reform/Conservative bias was plain to see once again. This programme is turning into a non-disclosed party political broadcast for the Labour party."
Another argued: "Oh look, the far-left presenters attacking Reform and sticking up for Starmer's two-tier policing and two-tier justice system claiming the Connolly decision was correct but not mentioning the Liebour MP that was let off when he said people should have their throats cut." (sic)
You had the chance to probe on policy and just chose to just repeatedly jibe about Lucy Connolly - I’d say the majority of the UK support Lucy and believe she was wronged and made an example of by Starmers dictatorship 🤷🏼♂️ you just played in to Reforms hands well done
— Harts (@theharts29) October 8, 2025
And an eighth summed up: "Silly childish questions being thrown at Nadine and then talking over her answers. Cringe-worthy TV at its best."
However, others were left displeased with Ms Dorries' response to the GMB hosts' probe.
One X user defended the questioning: "Lucy committed a crime - fact. Shame Reform can’t admit that even though Lucy did!"
"Why give time to this witless wonder?" a second said. "The woman pleaded guilty." (sic)