Television presenter Richard Madeley has been criticised for telling a newsreader to “dry her eyes” after she became upset while talking about the racial abuse of England footballers.
On ITV’s Good Morning Britain (GMB), Ranvir Singh had tears in her eyes during an on-air discussion about the racism experienced by Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka for missing penalties during England’s Euro 2020 final with Italy on Sunday.
GMB co-host Susanna Reid read out a letter to Rashford written by a nine-year-old called Dexter, which the footballer had tweeted.
Dexter said Rashford, who has pressured the government into reversing its decision not to serve free school meals during holidays, had inspired him to “help those who are less fortunate” and that he “will always be a hero”.
After reading out the letter, Ms Singh and Ms Reid – who also appeared to be on the verge of tears – praised the footballers for setting a good example for England’s youth.
Mr Madeley, who on Monday spoke out against the racist abuse, responded: “Now look here Ranvir, you’ve got to read the news. Dry your eyes.”
In response, Ms Singh went on to say her son, who is nearly nine, has experienced racism in school, adding: “You’re privileged if you don’t have to think about it ... if you don’t have to think about it until one of your heroes is suffering.”
Some viewers were not happy with Mr Madeley’s comments, with one describing them as “appalling” and “unbelievable”.
Twitter user Carrie Colvin wrote: “Shame Richard told Ranvir to dry her eyes and read the news. I don’t think you meant it to come across negatively, Richard, [but] you can’t close this down. Let Ranvir speak her raw truth, honestly and in her time.”
It comes after Mr Madeley had said that it was “not enough” to just criticise racism, but that perpetrators need to be“tracked down” and “dragged by the scruff of the neck into the dock”.
During Monday’s show, the presenter said: “I think it’s not enough to just decry it and call it disgusting. We have to track these people down, and it is possible through IP addresses.
“We need to spend some money and some time and some officers to get these guys and bring them to court and lock them away.”
The Independent approached ITV and Mr Madeley for comment.
