GMB fans hit out at ‘irony’ of Richard Madeley hosting debate on shoplifting

What did you miss?

Good Morning Britain viewers said it was "ironic" that Richard Madeley was hosting a debate on shoplifting.

In 1994, Madeley was acquitted of shoplifting charges after he was arrested for forgetting to pay for champagne when he walked out of Tescos.

October last year, the presenter spoke out about the scandal for the first time in years. He told The Sun: "The whole thing was so self-evidently b****cks, that my not paying was an oversight. It was leaked by someone at Tesco. At the time though I thought, ‘Well, of course it’s going to be OK because otherwise the world’s gone mad’."

The irony wasn't lost on the viewers and among the sea of comments, one claimed: "Bit ironic Richard Madeley about to be discussing shoplifting in supermarkets after the break!!"

What, how and why?

Madeley introduced the debate saying: "This is an interesting one. Is it actually in the end justified to steal food from a supermarket and take it to food banks to help people who would otherwise would go hungry?... Activists have filmed themselves doing exactly that."

Activists Everybody Eats Luke and former Scotland Yard detective Peter Bexley joined Good Morning Britain to debate this. The Everybody Eats activist said they are taking matters into their own hand while on the other side of the argument the former detective said it was "lawlessness" and the wrong way to tackle poverty.

Viewers at home were quick to respond to the Good Morning Britain segment. Among the comments, people wrote: "Richard Madeley is hosting a debate on #GMB asking if it is acceptable to steal food from a supermarket, to give to a food bank? The irony is overwhelming."

"I expect someone like Richard Madeley would know all about that....."

"Richard Madeley asking if its ever justifiable to steal from supermarkets."

"Richard Madeley was a TV personality with a good income when he "forgit to pay " in a supermarket, twice I think, so he would recommend the poorest in society do? what?"

"Finally a topic being discussed that Richard Madeley can relate to, shoplifting."

"Richard Madeley reporting on shop lifting from supermarkets is a classic."

"Richard Madeley on television now, talking about robbing from supermarkets."

Richard Madeley on 1994 incident

Last year, Madeley addressed the incident in 1994. "Thank God Twitter wasn’t around then," he told The Sun in October.

"But the whole thing was so self-evidently b****cks, that my not paying was an oversight. It was leaked by someone at Tesco. At the time though I thought, ‘Well, of course it’s going to be OK because otherwise the world’s gone mad’.

"I never felt I was going to get cancelled; Granada Television were fantastic. And the Monday after they found out, and knew the facts of the case and knew it was rubbish, they told me not to worry."

In 2008, Madeley reflected on the 1994 incident saying he was "not concentrating" when he paid for his food but forgot to pay for the champagne. He told The Guardian: "I was just not concentrating. I put the food through the till, I forgot to take the champagne out. It was, I can handle anything, I can juggle eight balls in the air, and actually I came a horrible cropper. I can joke about it now."

He added: "But that year was horrible. The publicity was mortifying. If I'd been accused of robbing a bank, at least it's got a bit of glamour to it, but fucking shoplifting... It's like wanking in a public toilet. Just horrible."

Watch Good Morning Britain weekdays from 6am.

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