Viewers have lambasted Good Morning Britain for having reporter Nick Dixon report live from Largs whilst Storm Eowyn rampaged through the UK.
The presenter was visibly battling to maintain his stance as voracious winds barrelled through the seaside town, with gusts surpassing 100mph in Scotland and Ireland.
Red weather warnings were announced, signalling serious threats to life.
Though Kate Garraway affirmed that all safety measures were observed and guidance followed, social media users on X, formerly known as Twitter, expressed their dissatisfaction with ITV’s decision to dispatch several presenters to hazardous locations.
“Ridiculous to have Nick Dixon reporting in that awful weather. Telling people to stay indoors and he has been sent to an area where there will be a red warning. Get him to safety NOW,” one viewer insisted, while another commented, “Why is Nick Dixon next to water out in a storm. That’s so irresponsible. When your telling people to stay in doors!!!”
A further outraged tweet read, “Danger to life warning and #gmb throw numerous reporters out into #StormÉowyn to get the best shots, where is the f*****g logic in that? unbelievable,” criticising the show for sending four reporters to different high-risk zones across the UK and Ireland.
Nick began his report detailing the escalating wind: “The wind really has intensified, particularly in the last 45 minutes. The gusts at time in excess of 70mph. As you say, still a couple of hours away from the red warning of 10am.”
Amid concerns that Nick’s braving of the elements could inspire ‘copy cat’ behaviour, with viewers potentially venturing out to capture snapshots of the turbulent weather, millions of Scots were sent an emergency alert last night about the impending red warning. This advised people to exercise caution and remain indoors.
Scottish rail services have been suspended, affecting routes north of Newcastle and Preston, reports the Mirror.
During the broadcast, Kate voiced her worries over Nick’s situation as she said: “Goodness me, we can see how much you’re under pressure from those winds and the rain. The warning doesn’t even arrive until 10am, does it? are you ok?”
She also acknowledged viewers’ online reactions, echoing their calls for him to get to safety and warm up with a hot drink. Despite attempts by presenters Adil Ray and Kate to reconnect with Nick for a final update before the show concluded, technical glitches overwhelmed the segment, prompting Kate to urge Nick to “get inside!”.
The storm has already caused significant disruption, setting a wind speed record with 114mph gales noted in Ireland this morning, according to forecasters. The unprecedented weather event poses the risk of cutting power, disabling mobile phone signals, and halting travel throughout all 76 cities in the UK.
A rare red warning remains in place across Northern Ireland until 14:00 GMT, while parts of Scotland will see the warning effective from 10am-5pm.
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