Today show under fire for 'vile and hurtful' segment on Harry and Meghan
The Today show is being slammed by viewers online after airing an interview segment with controversial royal commentator Katie Hopkins during Friday morning’s breakfast program.
The English media personality appeared on the show to discuss Prince Harry and Meghan’s final royal engagement in the UK and the couple’s exit from royal life.
However some of her comments have left viewers outraged, with many questioning the Today show’s decision for having her on as a guest.
"She's going to need to dump Harry, because after all, who needs a ginger husband if he's not a Royal." @KTHopkins on the future of Meghan and Harry. #9Today pic.twitter.com/yUTzUghv8h
— The Today Show (@TheTodayShow) March 5, 2020
“Prince Harry used to be the best of us,” Katie said, adding she thought Meghan would end up leaving Harry within the next 12 months.
Katie Hopkins controversial comments spark outrage
“He used to turn up naked in Vegas, you know, dressed as a Nazi under a pile of very good looking women, and now what have we got? He's just become this little sidekick to Meghan Markle and he's about as interesting as a vegan at a wedding.”
While the comment relating to Harry’s decision to dress up as a Nazi was met with anger from viewers online, host Karl Stefanovic can be heard giggling in the background.
“Where do you even start to unpick what you just said?” was the only response his co-host Allison Langdon could muster.
While Karl quipped: “You are so angry, Katie, so angry with the world.”
Katie didn’t stop there though, going on to lash out at Meghan even further over their initial hope to be able to keep the word ‘royal’ in their brand.
“If you want to ask me who owns the word ‘Tramp’, well, that would be Meghan Markle,” she said.
Moving the interview on, Ally then asked about how the Queen must be feeling not seeing Archie, and highlighted the fact that Harry did have a say in the couple’s decision to step down.
Katie however disagreed, saying she didn’t think he had much say at all, going on to call him a “battered partner”.
“You know, he was fantastic, and now he's down trodden, down beat, his mental health issues are something that his wife is hawking as hard as she can on the celebrity speaking circuit, and he has been utterly battered. He's like a battered partner,” she said.
Viewers took to Twitter to hit out at the Today show, and hosts Karl and Ally, for not shutting down the interview.
“She just called Meghan Markle a tramp and the hosts said nothing. Cool,” one person wrote on Twitter.
“Had to switch off from the Today show when you put this vile and hateful woman on. Why do you insist on giving this person a platform I will never understand,” another viewer asked.
Others called the segment ‘disgusting’, ‘vile and hurtful’ and ‘pathetic’, calling for viewers to boycott the program going forward.
Despite Katie’s controversial comments, Karl thanked her for being on the show at the end of the segment.
“It is always good to catch up with you. You do tend to fire people up. I actually really enjoy your company. You are a weird lady, but you're good company,” he said.
Karl Stefanovic slammed for Meghan Markle exposé
It’s not the first time Karl Stefanovic has copped heat for a segment on Meghan Markle.
60 Minutes viewers slammed Karl back in September, following the program’s controversial ‘exposé’ on Meghan Markle, which also included comments from Katie Hopkins.
The TV presenter was branded a “hypocrite”, “trashy” and “smug” by outraged Twitter users for his involvement in the scathing take-down of the Duchess of Sussex.
One viewer went as far as to claim that the ousted Today star should be “ashamed” of himself.
The program, which purported to reveal “what went wrong” for the “insufferable” royal, saw Karl interview a panel of Markle critics including a former friend of the 38-year-old, British TV presenter Lizzie Cundy, royal biographer Andrew Morton, and Katie.
Here is just a sample of the outrage against 60 Minutes:
“[Meghan] hasn't lost her sparkle but it appears #60minutes has. Looks like you interviewed #nobodies to put together a non story,” was one comment.
“Just say you hate her because she's black and have done with it,” another wrote.
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