Carol McGiffin slams Loose Women for forcing ‘woke views down viewers’ throats’ after quitting over contract row
CAROL McGiffin has blasted “woke” Loose Women bosses after quitting the ITV panel.
Over the weekend, we reported the “real” reason for Carol’s exit – said to be a result of backlash to her coronavirus conspiracy views.
It came after Carol, 63, – who joined the show in 2000 – told how she had “stepped back” from her Loose Women daytime TV gig due to “unjust” contract disputes.
Yet with free rein to air her views on GB News on Tuesday, Carol didn’t hold back.
Host Dan Wootton asked her about the “general wokery” at the weekday show as he raised the question of panel members of varying ethnicities.
Carol, wearing a smart blazer jacket and patterned green top, said: “Well put it this way, reading all the comments from the article at the weekend there are a lot of people who think the programme has gone very, very woke.”
Dan interjected: “I feel that as a viewer. I don’t watch any more.”
Carol continued: “Well, neither do I,” before laughing.
Later in the conversation she said: “You just don’t have to keep forcing this stuff down peoples’ throats, it’s not just ITV, the BBC is probably worse actually.”
The former ITV regular now told how the broadcaster is “not a place where I feel I fit in.”
To round off the conversation, Dan quipped that Carol’s Loose Women exit was “the loss of woke ITV.”
Carol giggled and confessed: “You might say that but I can’t possibly comment.”
The media personality this week took aim at show bosses for an alleged “totally unjust” contract dispute.
Yet her controversial views on the coronavirus pandemic – which saw the TV star accuse the World Health Organisation of a “plot” – are now said to be to blame.
According to MailOnline, her comments on TNT radio were at the “centre” of her decision to quit.
Carol’s TNT Radio interview for The Freeman Report with James Freeman is said to have seen her accuse media organisations of being “bought off by the Government.”
Her comments prompted a flood of calls to the radio network as well as ITV, with some demanding she be sacked.
An ITV spokesperson has told The Sun: “ITV will not comment on speculation around individual contracts. We understand that Carol has decided to leave Loose Women and we wish her well in any future projects.”
A source close to the show also said: “Any theories around Covid discussed by Carol on a platform outside of ITV would be her personal opinions, have not been broadcast as part of Loose Women and do not represent the views of ITV.
“Here at ITV we encourage free speech, but equally are fully committed to responsible broadcasting and adhering to the OfCom code.”
Earlier this week, an ITV spokesperson added: “ITV will not comment on or disclose details of individual contracts but all ITV contracts comply with the relevant external legislation.”
It came after Carol told Best Magazine how the “stress” over upcoming contract negotiations had been impacting her life.
She said: “I haven’t been on the show for two months now because I’ve had to step away from it.
“It was causing me too much stress, which was mostly down to a difficult contract issue I’d been challenging since January.
“The problem was, ITV were insisting, for the first time since I went back in 2018, that if I wanted to carry on doing the show, I would have to sign a contract that was totally unjust and unworkable for me, so I had to say no thanks.
“And I know it looks like I’ve thrown my toys out of the pram, but the whole saga was affecting my health.”