Daniel Khalife escaped from Wandsworth Prison on Wednesday
Alison Hammond was forced to apologise on Friday’s episode of This Morning after making a joke about Daniel Khalife’s prison escape.
Khalife, who was awaiting trial on terror charges, escaped from Wandsworth prison on Wednesday.
The 21-year-old is accused of leaving fake bombs at a military base while serving as a soldier. He denies all charges.
Khalife allegedly collected personal information about soldiers from the Ministry of Defence Joint Personnel Administration System in 2021 to pass onto a hostile state, which is reported to be Iran.
Hammond was presenting the show alongside Dermot O’Leary but overstepped the mark with an awkward joke that led to her receiving a telling off from regular guest, Gyles Brandreth.
After explaining to the viewers the context behind the prison escape, Hammond then exclaimed: “I can see this being made into a bit of a film you know.”
Disrupted by mini fits of laughter she then acknowledged the severity of the situation, saying: “Sorry, I shouldn’t be laughing.”
Brandreth meanwhile felt she had gone too far and accused her of “glamourising” the incident before Hammond apologised again while O’Leary watched on awkwardly.
Police are also keen to hear from anyone with information that may assist in locating Khalife, even if it does not relate to a live sighting.
Commander Dominic Murphy, Head of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command said: “We have a team of officers who are making extensive and urgent enquiries in order to locate and detain Khalife as quickly as possible. However, the public can help us as well and should anyone see Khalife, or have any information as to where he might be, then please call 999 or the immediately.
“I also want to reassure the public that we have no information which indicates, nor any reason to believe that Khalife poses a threat to the wider public, but our advice if you do see him is not to approach him and call 999 straight away.”
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