Martin Lewis has been branded ‘rude’ and ‘difficult’ to work with after he gatecrashed Kemi Badenoch’s Good Morning Britain interview.
The 53-year-old money-saving expert has apologised for ambushing the Conservative opposition leader as the pair clashed about student loans.
After being asked by co-host Ed Balls about her party’s plans to cut interest rates for some student loans, Badenoch was barraged with questions by Lewis, who stormed onto the set from off-screen and stood in front of her.
Now, however, ITV colleagues have reportedly criticised the presenter for his backstage behaviour.
‘Martin’s reputation with the public is vastly different to how he is known for behaving by those he works with backstage,’ an ITV colleague told The Sun.
‘He’s notorious for being rude and thinking he’s always right. He can be a very intimidating figure.
‘He means well, but he’s very pedantic about how he wants things done, and that can cause hostility. Even experienced producers across daytime find him difficult to deal with.
‘The only surprise about his behaviour with Kemi is that it happened on-screen. It’s as if the mask has finally slipped.’
Responding to the comments, an ITV spokesperson said: ‘We don’t recognise this behaviour. Martin is a valued contributor and presenter as well as being a highly regarded and respected voice for the viewer.’
Meanwhile, another source told Metro: ‘He is actually the loveliest man on earth and incredibly shy.
‘I think he’s just awkward. I spoke to him when he won his NTA, and he mostly just seemed uncomfortable in front of cameras’
Despite originally only being on GMB to discuss Rachel Reeves’ plans to freeze the Plan 2 student loan repayment threshold, Lewis unexpectedly went on live on air to challenge Badenoch.
Staring directly at the politician, he said: ‘If you want to help the middle-earning students, the most important thing is the repayment threshold should have been increased.’
Badenoch then responded: ‘I’m the first person who’s even trying to solve this problem.’
Reacting to the moment online, several fans felt that the presenter, along with Balls, ‘ambushed’ the politician ‘unfairly’.
Writing on X to his 3.3million followers, Lewis apologised to Badenoch, writing: ‘Student loans are so life-impacting that I wanted to ensure the key point was made – that financially, if not psychologically, the repayment threshold is a bigger issue than the interest.
‘Thank you for being so courteous after the interruption – you handled it far better than I would have the other way round. I have asked my office to request a meeting, if you are available, to discuss this more calmly.’
Badenoch later responded, writing: ‘Thank you. I really appreciate that, and honestly, don’t worry. I do love a feisty debate! It helps people understand what the real issues are.’
Just a few days after his fiery debate, Lewis warned 2,000,000 married Brits that they could be missing out on a £1,260 tax break.
The marriage tax allowance allows a lower-earning partner to transfer a portion of personal tax allowance to their higher-earning partner, reducing each household’s tax bill by up to £252 a year.
Metro has contacted Martin Lewis for comment.
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