Richard Madeley faces backlash after comparing Gaza civilian deaths to those in Nazi Germany

Richard Madeley has come under heavy criticism after comparing Palestinian civilians killed in Gaza to innocent Germans bombed by Britain during the Second World War.

The Good Morning Britain presenter sparked controversy on Monday (16 October) during a discussion on the Israel-Hamas war, which has so far claimed the lives of 2,750 Palestinians from aerial strikes in reponse to a terror attack on Israel ten days ago.

Madeley asked his co-host Susanna Reid if it was “fair” to draw a “parallel” between the deaths of civilians in Palestine and the deaths of German civilians in Nazi Germany.

“I read in many Sunday papers yesterday, [that there are] parallels with the Second World War,” he began.

“Not just the holocaust, but with what the allies, the British, the free French did when they invaded Europe in 1944 and defeated the Nazis by going into Germany and in doing so, by going into Germany, apart from the bombing campaigns that the RAF and the American airforce launched, lots of German civilians were killed.”

“But nobody at the time made any excuses or apologies for that. They just saw that as a necessary evil. Is that a fair parallel?”

Madeley’s co-host said Susanna Reid asked: “I think we’ve moved on from those times, haven’t we?”

GMB viewers have called out Madeley’s “appalling” comparison on social media, with some calling on ITV to remove the presenter from the show.

‘It goes without saying that nobody should be taking history lessons from Richard Madeley,’ wrote one viewer (ITV)

“@itvnews I never want to see Richard Madeley on your station ever again,” wrote one viewer on Twitter/X.

The Independent has contacted ITV and Madeley’s representatives for comment.

“It goes without saying that nobody should be taking history lessons from Richard Madeley,” added another, as one viewer wrote: “@GMB can you please keep Madeley away from our telly please, people watching fully think he has some kind of expertise, he hasn’t, none whatsoever.”

The GMB presenter, who has been a co-anchor on the programme since 2017, has repeatedly caused controversy over the past year when he discusses pressing topics of the day while on the show.

Earlier this year, Madeley appeared to compare climate activists to paedophiles, and last year, viewers likened him to Alan Partridge after he made comments about “Hitler Youth” in a discussion about former Isis bride Shamima Begum.

Madeley’s comments come as at least one million people have been forced to flee their homes in northern Gaza and international mediators appeared close to striking a deal for Egypt to open the southern border to allow foreign citizens to escape the Israeli bombardment and feared ground offensive.

Israel’s military has said that 199 people are being held hostage in Gaza by Hamas and other Palestinian militants, which marks an increase in the number previously feared to have been taken captive.