Entertainment
ITV viewers ‘disgusted’ as Ranvir Singh documentary on Ghislaine Maxwell ‘gives platform’ to brother Ian Maxwell
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ITV viewers have expressed their anger over Ghislaine Maxwell’s brother, Ian Maxwell, being interviewed in a documentary hosted by Ranvir Singh, with one saying they felt ‘disgusted’.
Ghislaine, Prince Andrew and the Paedophile, which aired tonight, followed the Good Morning Britain presenter as she explored the connection between convicted sex offender Maxwell with Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein.
Last month, Maxwell – the longtime associate of Epstein – was convicted on five of six counts around charges of sexual abuse and trafficking of underage girls.
The 60-year-old’s sentencing has been set for June this year, although a US District Judge said that the date could be delayed depending on the outcome of her request to overturn her conviction.
In the ITV programme, Singh sat down with one of Maxwell’s brothers, Ian, who said he feels ‘angry’ over the his sister’s case.
‘I’m just damn angry, I don’t see how anyone, anyone looking at this can not feel that way. It’s just wrong,’ he said, as he teared up.
Maxwell cried as he said he ‘believes and loves’ his sister (Picture: ITV)
The documentary explores the connection between Maxwell, Andrew and Epstein (Picture: Getty)
‘I have devoted a lot of my time, as have my brothers and sisters, to help. We believe her, we love her, and we hope that she will get the justice that she definitely deserves.’
Several people watching the documentary expressed their anger over the fact that he was given airtime at all.
‘#IanMaxwell should not have been given a platform,’ one person wrote repeatedly in a tweet, tagging the ITV Twitter account, while another said: ‘Not sure why Ian Maxwell is getting so much air time.’
‘Disgusted that @ITV and @ranvir01 are giving Ian Maxwell and @RealGhislaine airtime,’ someone else remarked, with another writing: ‘@ITV giving a platform to Ian Maxwell, brother of convicted sex trafficker and pedophile #Ghislaine. Don’t remember this being done with grooming gangs in Rochdale, or Jimmy Savile, etc.’
One of the tweets criticising Ian Maxwell’s interview (Picture: Twitter)
Another questioned his involvement on the programme (Picture: ITV)
Earlier today, the BBC responded to complaints over Maxwell’s brother being given airtime on Radio 4, saying in a statement: ‘The BBC has covered the guilty verdict against Ghislaine Maxwell extensively, including interviews with her victims.
‘The decision to interview Ian Maxwell was related to the family’s highly publicised decision to appeal the verdict. For good reason it is unusual to interview the relative of a convicted criminal after the end of a court case, and this was a finely balanced editorial judgement.
More: ITV
‘A great deal of time was spent deliberating how to conduct the interview and ensuring it was set within a context which placed the emphasis on the victims of Maxwell’s crimes. The interview itself robustly challenged the Maxwell family arguments in favour of an appeal; specifically Mishal Husain challenged Ian Maxwell with the individual testimony of each of the four women who were part of the case.
‘The interview was preceded by a clip of Annie Farmer, the only one of Maxwell’s victims to speak publicly after the verdict and his arguments were critiqued immediately afterwards by an interview with a barrister who specialises in cases involving abuse and violence against women and girls.’
Metro.co.uk has contacted ITV for comment.
Ghislaine, Prince Andrew and the Paedophile will be available to watch on ITV Hub.
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