Madeley has been accused of victim blaming
Richard Madeley has once more landed himself in hot water for comments he made while speaking to a victim of drink spiking, with his co-host Susanna Reid even having to intervene in his questioning.
As concerns grow over drink spiking in bars and nightclubs across the country, Good Morning Britain spoke to a victim of drink spiking, Jemma Wolstenholme earlier this today (October 21).
'When it happened to me I was more scared but then when it happen to my sister it just made me really angry.'
Leah's sister Jemma had her drink spiked in a nightclub just a couple of months before Leah was spiked by a needle. pic.twitter.com/D4avLGDf2l
— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) October 21, 2021
However, Madeley’s questions angered many viewers as he appeared to blame Jemma for allowing her drink to be spiked.
He asked his interviewee whether she was “taking precautions” and “keeping an eye” on the drink.
Jemma explained that she didn’t realise she had been spiked until the next day, saying: “I was in London at the time and I didn’t know if I got a taxi home or the train, which was immediately a big flag in my mind.”
But Madeley seemed unsympathetic, continuing to ask her if she had taken precautions and done everything she could do to avoid being spiked.
Jemma replied: “Yeah, well it’s sort of second nature now because we’ve been told for so long that we need to be careful whose near our drinks. So if I did leave it, it was left with my friend.”
She added: “It’s still a bit of a mystery as to how it happened but you see people finding opportunities wherever they can.”
Of course Richard Madeley is having a go at the young girl who was spiked asking her “what precautions did you take? Did you watch your drink?” 🙄
Susannah finally interrupts him and says it’s not her fault.
Argh. #GMB— @NowMrsMFL (jenbeattie84) on Threads (@nowMrsMFL) October 21, 2021
Eventually, Susanna Reid had to step in to stop his persistent questioning (“But had you been taking precautions? Had you been trying to protect your drink? Had you kept your hand over it? Did you keep it with you?”) telling Jemma that it absolutely was not her fault that she had been spiked.
Many viewers were left unimpressed by Madeley’s handling of the interview though.
One tweeted: “That’s right Richard, let’s question the girl if she was careful enough!”
Another said that they “can’t actually believe this.”
Woman gets spiked and @richardm56 decides to ask HER had she done everything to protect herself .. are you for real ??? How about stop spiking the women (and men) 🤔@GMB @susannareid100 steps in later on but can’t actually believe this 😡.. #gmb pic.twitter.com/ktbHZCahsN
— From Evija with Love (@EvijawithLove) October 21, 2021
The rise in concerns over drink spiking comes after reports of female students being ‘injected’ with drugs in bars and clubs. The first reports of such incident emerged in Nottingham earlier this week, with students in the city and across the country now organising a boycott of late night venues set for October 28.
Related links:
- Durham uni’s advice for students trying not to get spiked – don’t get spiked
- GMB fans shocked over Richard Madeley’s ‘inappropriate’ Kate Middleton comment
- ‘I did three grams of coke during a game’: Inside football’s problem with Class A drugs
