Richard Madeley defends ‘unprofessional’ Good Morning Britain row with RMT boss Mick Lynch

‘Sometimes, you just have to do it,’ said Madeley of interrupting Lynch during their interview

Richard Madeley has responded to the backlash that followed his interview with trade unionist Mick Lynch.

In December, the Good Morning Britain anchor was widely criticised for his conduct while talking to Lynch, the secretary general of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT).

During a discussion about rail strikes around the Christmas period, Madeley repeatedly interrupted Lynch and ultimately told him to “jog on”, after a debate on when the “real” start of the festive season was.

Many viewers were unimpressed with the presenter’s behaviour towards the interviewee, with some going as far as branding the segment “pathetic” and “unprofessional” on social media.

Ahead of another televised conversation with Lynch, Madeley defended his much-maligned interview on Tuesday’s (3 January) edition of the morning news programme.

“When [interviewees] don’t answer the question, therefore I have to interrupt them, because they haven’t answered your question,” he explained.

“They accuse me of interrupting them and not letting them finish, but you’ve already started off on the wrong path.”

Madeley then went on to double down on his assertion that Christmas begins at the start of December. He added: “What he was saying there was that these weren’t Christmas strikes, because in his book, Christmas didn’t begin until Christmas Eve – which, as you heard me say, is clearly nonsense.

“So you have to interrupt people sometimes. I know it means talking over them, and I don’t like doing that, it’s not good to watch, is it? But sometimes, you just have to do it, that’s the job.”

Later in the programme, Madeley and co-host Susanna Reid spoke to Lynch from the picket line at Euston station, and Lynch was able to give further insight into the demands of the RMT strikers.

You can keep up with updates on today’s rail strike action here.