‘Breath of fresh air’: Russell Kane praised for ‘smashing education debate’ mid-interview on Good Morning Britain with passionate speech

Russell Kane got serious during his Good Morning Britain interview on Tuesday as he weighed in on higher education and apprenticeships as A-level results were unveiled in the UK.

The comedian was on the show to promote his new podcast Staycation however he launched into a passionate speech about his experiences when he found himself at ‘a crossroads’ after failing his exams.

He revealed he narrowly avoided ‘slipping into things I shouldn’t have been doing’ as a teenager until he retook an A-level in sociology which he ‘aced’.

The TV star commented on how ‘people who don’t sound like me’ praise apprenticeships rather than the people who run them speaking out.

He also warned that: ‘We have to be very careful with the language we’re using which tries to contain working class people.’

Speaking to hosts Kate Garraway and Ben Shephard, he continued: ‘It sometimes feels a little bit like middle class people who want their kids to go to university trying to make the rest of us feel like we shouldn’t go to Middlesex and Southamptom Polytechnic after all and should be happy learning carpentry.

‘Trades are fantastic so let’s get carpenters, plumbers and leaders of those associations showing us why apprenticeships are fantastic.

‘You can tell us all day long, “Oh it’s only a £60k [loan] you’ll pay it back.” There’s an in-built cultural fear. That’s why you’re seeing the social mobility gap widening because a lot of people are brought up to be scared of debt.’

Russell had plenty of support on social media with viewers calling for him to come for Education Secretary Gavin Williamson’s crown.

Absolutely on the money there Russell!

— Darren Robert Gough (@bigdazza450) August 10, 2021

What a breath of fresh air. Russell makes so much sense.

— keith griffiths (@firebladegriff) August 10, 2021

Interesting, articulate and thought provoking. And you came into promote a#your podcast! GMB – get him back in for further discussion. Mr Kane, doubt you will really care but you gained another fan today!

— Luci Langstone-Bolt (@LuciBolt) August 10, 2021

100% agree with everything said . Russel Kane for education minister

— Sarah Sanaghan (@SSanaghan) August 10, 2021

So right. A lot of us have been brought up to avoid debt!
No credit cards.
If you can’t pay for it you can’t have it.
Russell Kane for Chancellor!

— Rainbow Warrior 💙#IAmEuropean #GTTO #FBPE 🇪🇺 🍥 (@SandraDunn1955) August 10, 2021

Asked what he thinks the solution could be, Russell explained: ‘We need to start in primary and think about how secondary school skims off the bright without being divisive.

‘By the time people get to 18 they’ve been knocked about by the education system so much we’re losing talent at that point. It’s not fair to assess people at 18 who have got extra resources – by that I mean private tutors.

Russell was open about his own experiences growing up working class (Picture: ITV)

The comedian said that children was different classes of families ‘live different lives’ in the summer holidays, which contributes to ‘an attainment drop’.

‘We live different lives in those three months. It’s not mums and dads faults who have to work, but we can’t swan around going to look at the new Van Gogh Alive exhibition in South Kensington because our parents work hard all summer so we just play over the park. So there’s an attainment drop in the holidays.’

He added that youth clubs and summer schools are both beneficial.

Good Morning Britain airs weekdays from 6am on ITV.

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