Good Morning Britain has been flooded with hundreds of Ofcom complaints following comments made by Susanna Reid about Scotland's bank holiday for their first World Cup match in 28 years.
Controversial Comments
On Monday, Scottish fans were granted a bank holiday after staying up to watch their team face Haiti in Boston, with the match kicking off at 2am due to the time difference. The game ended in a 1-0 victory for Scotland. However, Reid, 55, described the decision as 'outrageous' on the ITV morning programme, saying: 'It's really outrageous. I mean, how long does it take Scots to get over the fact that they've played their first match?'
Realizing her remarks might cause offense, she added: 'My Scottish ancestors would be turning in their graves, I can only apologise. Let me say, it's outrageous that not everyone in Scotland has got today off as a bank holiday.'
Ofcom Complaints
The comments reportedly prompted 508 complaints to Ofcom, the broadcasting watchdog. Ofcom confirmed the complaints were related to the discussion about the Scottish World Cup bank holiday.
Background
After Scotland qualified for the North American tournament, First Minister John Swinney proposed that the day after Scotland's first game be designated a national bank holiday. He said: 'We want to make the most of Scotland's participation in this global sporting event by ensuring people have the opportunity to come together and celebrate – no matter the outcome of the match.'
The bank holiday was approved by King Charles, but it was left to individual businesses to decide whether staff should have the day off. Tens of thousands of public sector workers and some schools were closed for the day.
Metro has contacted Good Morning Britain for comment. The show airs on ITV on weekdays from 6am.
