Susanna Reid called out a Good Morning Britain guest who made “uncomfortable” remarks about Ann Widdecombe’s death.
Journalist Kevin Maguire appeared on the ITV show to discuss Widdecombe’s death after she was found dead at her Devon home on Wednesday.
The 78-year-old former Conservative minister and Reform spokeswoman had sustained serious injuries.
Reform leader Nigel Farage travelled to Devon to pay tribute to his late colleague and say he believes it was a “pre-meditated murder” that could have been “someone with political motivations or a grudge”.
Maguire has now claimed Farage’s comments were a “diversion from rows over gifts and donations”.
He told Reid: "Nigel Farage has come up with three reasons why he took a secret £5 million gift from the Thai-based crypto billionaire.”
Maguire went on: “Security was one Reform put out, then said it was a reward for Brexit and then he said you could spend on whatever you like, Ferraris or gambling, but I think if somebody is murdered, a politician is murdered and they're in your party, one of yours, I personally understand that.
"But because there's that by-election going on, why it's become so intensely political and why there was so much pressure on the police because Reform, it's quite clear, I use the murder as a diversion from rows over the money."
Reid interrupted and said: "That’s unfair. They may not want to talk about their donation, but I think accusing them of using it as a diversion is going to feel uncomfortable."
Maguire insisted: "No, I've watched this many times, they don't want to talk about crypto money and £5 million."
His opinion prompted backlash on social media, with one viewer writing: "Kevin Maguire was totally out of order by suggesting the Reform Party were using Ann Widdecombe's death as a cover. Despicable actions. Get him off your programme."
Another added: "Kevin Maguire is now saying that Farage, Zia and Reform will use Ann Widdecombe’s murder as a diversion to distract from the investigation. That’s just disgusting. What an awful thing to say."
“His vile suggestion that Reform are trying to use the murder of Ann Widdecombe as a distraction to divert from the ongoing row over their donations, is yet another low for this vile man,” someone else said.
The Standard has contacted Maguire for comment.
Widdecombe was found dead at her Dartmoor home. A 28-year-old white British man was arrested in Rotherham on Saturday evening on suspicion of murder.
He is believed to have made the 540-mile round trip from the town in South Yorkshire to Devon, where the former Tory minister lived, on Wednesday, the day when it is believed she was killed.
Counter-terror detectives are now leading the investigation into the suspected murder of the veteran politician after “new information and evidence” came to light.
They re-arrested the suspect on suspicion of commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism, it was revealed on Monday.
Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, confirmed that the murder suspect was not known to the Government's anti-terror programme Prevent.
Farage was blasted for speculating about her death to the press in Devon, with one critic stating “this is not an Agatha Christie novel”.
“From what I can see of it, from what I can make out, this was premeditated murder,” he said.
“Whether it's politically motivated, whether it was somebody with a grudge, I don't think it pays at this moment in time to speculate.”
Former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith said “speculating doesn't help” the investigation.
“Don't try and give some news interview in which you're able to tell everybody this is what you think,” he told Times Radio.
“When you know this is not an Agatha Christie novel. This is real life, and this is a real murder. And let's just leave the police to get on with it.
“And then, when they're ready and they release the information, then we all know what happened.”
Former Conservative MP Harvey Proctor told The Times: “The police have expressly asked the public not to speculate about the motive.
“It is therefore deeply disappointing that Nigel Farage has chosen to do precisely that.”
