Good Morning Britain presenters Ranvir Singh and Susanna Reid were both moved to tears during a discussion about racism and white privilege in Tuesday’s live show.
The ITV breakfast show featured a conversation about the wave of racist remarks England players Marcus Rashford, Bukayo Saka and Jadon Sancho have been subjected to in recent days.
Reflecting on Marcus Rashford’s recent Twitter post, in which he apologised for his performance in Sunday night’s England match but insisted he would “never apologise for who I am or where I come from”, Susanna began: “In all the sewer of nasty stuff… I hope that they realise how many people love them, are proud of them, and how many people they’ve inspired.”
She then turned her attention to a letter to Marcus from a nine-year-old fan named Dexter, which the footballer shared on his Twitter page on Monday evening.
Dexter’s letter reads: “Dear Marcus Rashford, I hope you won’t be sad for long, because you are such a good person. Last year, you inspired me to help those less fortunate. Then last night you inspired me again to always be brave. I’m proud of you, you’ll always be a hero.”
Susanna was audibly emotional as she read the letter, stating: “I hope Marcus feels everything that’s coming through from this letter and from all the messages of support.”
Co-presenter Ranvir then said through tears: “That’s England. Dexter is England, right?"
“And Marcus Rashford, and Tyrone Mings and Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka and every single member of that squad,” Susanna agreed.
When co-anchor Richard Madeley urged Ranvir to “dry your eyes”, she then explained: “No… the thing is, it goes to the heart of what we want for our children. My son, going to school, he’s talked about racism that he’s faced.
“You think about it all the time, and you’re privileged if you don’t have to think about it, and the only time you think about it is when one of your heroes is suffering.”
“That’s the definition of white privilege,” Susanna said.
Despite the torrent of online abuse, the England squad have also received a wave of support, including from celebrities like Lewis Hamilton, Naomi Campbell and a number of key figures in the football community.
Good Morning Britain airs every weekday from 6am on ITV.