GMB divides viewers as guests debate whether to turn on Christmas lights

‘I don’t think while people are struggling to put electricity into their homes, [that] we should have Christmas lights this year,’ comedian Ava Vidal said

Viewers of ITV’s Good Morning Britain (GMB) have been left divided after two guests on the show debated whether British homes should turn on Christmas lights this year.

Appearing on GMB on Wednesday morning (2 November), comedian Ava Vidal said: “I don’t think they should have them [lights] this year.

“In this country, there’s some sort of apathy, some kind of cognitive dissonance, some kind of not appreciating the situation that we’re all in. I don’t think while people are struggling to put electricity into their homes, [that] we should have Christmas lights this year.

Vidal continued: “We’re just acting like we’re not noticing what’s going on. This country’s very good at that.”

Responding to fellow guest, actor Sue Pollard’s earlier comment about some children being born in the pandemic and introducing them to Christmas joy, Vidal said: “Let’s not introduce it into their lives and raise their standards. They’ll be disappointed later so we shouldn’t have any. If we have a blackout on the high street, it’ll be fine. We can have more fun in a blackout.”

Vidal added that people turning on their Christmas lights when others couldn’t afford to do so would be an “insult”.

Viewers of the show were quick to take to Twitter to share their opinions on whether Christmas lights should be kept off this year, as the UK faces an ongoing cost of living crisis which has seen a surge in energy prices.

“For some the Christmas lights are a source of joy in the dark months. Why shouldn’t we give people a little bit of joy?” one person argued.

“The whole point of Christmas is to spread joy! I’m a single (working) mother of two and I’ll continue to put up my lights!” another added.

Others agreed with Vidal, saying people should buy solar lights to save on energy costs, while another said: “People are starving and can’t heat their homes but let’s waste money on lights.”

Last week a Tesco report found that Britons would be eating fewer turkeys and more Brussels sprouts this Christmas due to the cost of living crisis and families trying to save money.