Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu has been applauded by Good Morning Britain viewers for asking presenter Kate Garraway to say her surname after she struggled to pronounce it on Friday’s programme.
Dr Shola was on the ITV morning show to talk about cancel culture, but things got off to a shaky start when Kate asked the lawyer and activist to say her own surname when she tried - and failed - to pronounce it.
After Kate attempted to say Dr Shola’s full name, the presenter said: “Let me do that again.” She then appeared to give up completely, saying: “Dr Shola – you say your surname, ’cause I’m useless this morning.”
But Dr Shola asked Kate to try again, telling her: “Ok so read it phonetically. I’m not going to let you get away with that. Read it phonetically, pronounce it as you see it.”
Kate then successfully read her guest’s surname, prompting, Dr Shola to give her a round of applause.
Oddly, the GMB co-host insisted that she also stumbles over the name ‘Smith’, adding: “So you know, it’s nothing to do with anything else. I just struggle to get my words out most mornings.”
Viewers were less than impressed with Kate’s excuse, but applauded Dr Shola for insisting the presenter persevered.
The interview with Dr Shola and comedian Leo Kearse became extremely heated when the comic said Boris Johnson’s comparison of Muslim women who wear burkas to letterboxes was “not an expression of hate”.
“It’s just a visual gag because they look a bit like letterboxes,” he said. “It’s not a hateful thing. The only hate I can see is from the people doing the cancelling.”
Horrified by Leo’s remarks, Dr Shola told him: “This is unacceptable. This is utterly unacceptable.
“Your words are utterly reprehensible, that you have the audacity to come on national TV and reinforce the ugly words said by Laurence Fox, the ugly words said by Boris Johnson, acting like the lives of those Muslim women are less important than a privileged man who was given the keys to the kingdom.”
Good Morning Britain airs weekdays at 6am on ITV.