This Morning host Eamonn Holmes' recent comments regarding coronavirus somehow being linked to 5G have been branded "ill-judged" by broadcasting regulator Ofcom.
Earlier this month, Eamonn sparked backlash after discussing a coronavirus conspiracy theory, something former Watchdog presenter Alice Beer had dismissed as "not true" and "incredibly stupid" earlier in the programme.
Ofcom has now confirmed that it has "carefully considered complaints" about the comments and confirmed that it has now issued guidance to ITV and its presenters in response.
ITV
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"In our view, Eamonn Holmes' ambiguous comments were ill-judged and risked undermining viewers' trust in advice from public authorities and scientific evidence," an Ofcom statement read.
"We have taken into account the context provided by Alice Beer, This Morning's Consumer Editor, who strongly rejected theories linking Covid-19 to 5G earlier in this programme; the prominent caption which rooted the discussion in 'fake news' about Covid-19; and an on-air statement broadcast by Eamonn Holmes the following day.
"In view of these factors, we have issued guidance to ITV and its presenters."
In the on demand bulletin, Ofcom also noted that "broadcasters have editorial freedom to discuss and challenge the approach taken by public authorities to a serious public health crisis such as the coronavirus", but added that comments about unproven claims and theories must be put fully into context to ensure viewers' protection.
Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock
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During the discussion with Alice Beer, Holmes had said that while he agreed that the theory was not true, he didn't accept "mainstream media immediately slapping that down as not true when they don't know it's not true".
"No-one should attack or damage or do anything like that, but it's very easy to say it is not true because it suits the state narrative," he added.
Holmes later clarified his comments on the following day's edition of This Morning.
"Both Alice Beer and myself agreed in a discussion on this very programme on fake news that it is not true that there is a connection between the present national health emergency and 5G and to suggest otherwise would be wrong and indeed could be possibly dangerous," he said.
"Every theory relating to such a connection has been proven to be false and we would like to emphasise that."
This Morning airs weekdays from 10am on ITV.
The information in this story is accurate as of the publication date. While we are attempting to keep our content as up-to-date as possible, the situation surrounding the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic continues to develop rapidly, so it's possible that some information and recommendations may have changed since publishing. For any concerns and latest advice, visit the World Health Organisation. If you're in the UK, the National Health Service can also provide useful information and support, while US users can contact the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
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