Susanna Reid says ‘I’d be in there like a shot’ as she talks defending Chris Whitty

Susanna Reid has spoken out about the footage of England's chief medical officer Chris Whitty being harassed by two men in the street.

The worrying footage emerged on social media on Monday and shows two men grabbing Whitty by the neck, sparking calls for the Professor to be given better protection.

As she hosted Good Morning Britain alongside Martin Lewis on Tuesday, Susanna was keen to discuss the incident and what action needs to be taken.

Speaking about her own experience of being recognised in public, Susanna said: "I’ve never had anything negative. I’ve only ever had people politely say, ‘aren’t you that person off the telly?’ and then perhaps ask for a selfie.

"But this sort of physically coercing someone in order to get a video stunt is… there’s something anarchic about it. Where is their sense of what’s right and wrong?"

Susanna continued: “He can’t really defend himself can he? Because as soon as he does lays hands on someone else then they might have a reason to complain. He’s so dignified. He's so stoic, but he shouldn't have to be.

The footage shows England's chief medical officer Chris Whitty being harassed by two men in the street (Twitter)

"Oh my goodness, I tell you what, if I ever walked past something like that, I’d be in there like a shot," mother-of-three Susanna then admitted.

Martin, 49, agreed with his co-host and said: "I'm like Susanna couldn't walk past that and not do or say something."

The money saving expert went on to recall his own experience of being harassed in the street while he was out and about with his young daughter.

Martin was taking his daughter - who was three-years-old at the time - to the park, when one man approached him.

"Well the concept is, if you are known, you are owned," he began.

"I will always remember when my daughter was three or four, I was taking her to the playground, she was on my shoulders and I was walking along the road with her.

Susanna admitted she would have been 'in there like a shot' if she had witnessed the incident (ITV)

"A man came up to me and he says, ‘you’re the money guy aren’t you?’ and I said with a smile, ‘not today I’m daddy’. She gets very scared when people we don’t know approach."

Martin continued: "And he said, ‘I just want to ask you a question’. And I said, ‘I’m so sorry, I’m on my way to the playground, I really can’t do this right now, she gets a little intimidated'.

"Well, he started calling me a name that begins with a C and he followed me down the road shouting at me, 'you are...' you know what the word is."

Martin Lewis said a man once called him a 'c**t' when he refused to answer a question for him in the street (ITV)

"While your three-year-old is sitting on your shoulders?" Susanna asked stunned.

Martin then added: "Now, I have to say I normally when people come and talk to me in the street, I’m always happy to do it, I smile, I'm always politely nice.

"But my little girl, understandably is a child, can get very scared when strangers approach.

"I will never forget that episode, because it made me intimidated to go down the street. It was scary, I was trying to protect her."

Good Morning Britain airs weekdays at 6am on ITV.