Deeley acknowledged the joke ‘did not come from that place in any respect’ in her apology.
Cat Deeley, the lately appointed co-host of ITV’s This Morning, discovered herself on the heart of controversy following an ill-advised joke about seizures throughout Monday’s broadcast. The incident, which introduced quick backlash from viewers and epilepsy consciousness organizations, led to a public apology from Deeley on Tuesday’s present.
The scenario started when Deeley, whereas dancing with co-host Ben Shephard, quipped, “I am high quality, I am simply having a seizure.” This off-the-cuff comment rapidly drew criticism from viewers and advocacy teams alike, who identified the insensitivity of creating gentle of a critical medical situation.
The Epilepsy Society was among the many first to reply, taking to social media to specific their disappointment. They wrote on X, “Seizures are not any laughing matter for folks with #epilepsy @catdeeley. Please do higher and educate yourselves about this tough and poorly understood situation, @thismorning.”
Equally, the charity Younger Epilepsy voiced their issues. They famous on X, “There are greater than 100,000 youngsters and younger individuals who dwell with epilepsy within the UK. Seizures considerably influence their life – they don’t seem to be one thing to be ridiculed or joked about.”
Deeley addressed the difficulty initially of Tuesday’s broadcast. She acknowledged, “I simply wished to apologise to anybody who was offended yesterday once I made a light-hearted remark about my dancing model. It actually wasn’t presupposed to trigger any upset to anyone. However I can see why that may have been the case. So I do apologise and am very sorry for the upset.”
Shephard supported Deeley’s apology, including, “It could by no means have been our intention.” Deeley additional emphasised that her remark “did not come from that place in any respect,” suggesting an absence of malicious intent behind her phrases.
Clare Pelham, chief govt of the Epilepsy Society, responded to Deeley’s apology with a press release. “I wish to thank Cat Deeley for her apology on This Morning. We perceive that it’s tough on dwell TV for each comment to be well-chosen and well-expressed.
“All of us make errors and sometimes one thing good can come from a mistake. We hope that would be the case at This Morning. There’s a lot that they may do to enhance understanding of seizures and the appropriate manner for the general public to answer them.
“That is notably vital for folks with epilepsy who dwell with stigma each day. We’re extremely grateful when the published channels, together with This Morning, take time and hassle to spotlight the challenges of dwelling with epilepsy.”
This controversy comes at a delicate time for This Morning, because the present makes an attempt to rebuild its repute following the departures of long-time hosts Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby in 2023. Deeley and Shephard have been introduced in as everlasting replacements, tasked with steering the present into a brand new period.
In keeping with an insider who spoke to MailOnline, the present’s producers have been fast to demand an apology from Deeley. The supply revealed, “The present is determined to keep away from any controversy after what’s occurred over the previous two years,” referring to the tumultuous exit of the earlier hosts.
Nevertheless, the identical insider recommended that there was some debate behind the scenes concerning the significance of the apology, stating, “However there’s a feeling behind the scenes the apology wasn’t overly vital.” In response to Deeley’s preliminary remark, Epilepsy Society had written on social media: “Seizures are not any laughing matter for folks with #epilepsy @catdeeley Please do higher and educate yourselves about this tough and poorly understood situation.”
