Heartbroken Good Morning Britain star says ‘I don’t feel at home’ after UK riots-Meghna Amin-Entertainment – Metro

Alex Beresford has made a heartbreaking declaration amid the riots and violence across the UK (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

Good Morning Britain star Alex Beresford has made a heartbreaking declaration about not feeling ‘at home’ in England amid the riots across the nation.

The ITV weather presenter, 43, took to X, formerly known as Twitter, on Sunday, expressing his devastation at the far-right violence across the UK, following attacks in areas including Rotherham, Middlesbrough, Bristol and Bolton.

In the past few days, extremists have smashed windows, shops, cars and lit bins on fire, with social media clips showing ‘race checkpoints’ set up in Middlesbrough, a Liverpool library which hosts a food bank set on fire, and petrol bombs thrown at a Holiday Inn Express hotel in Tamworth.

Alex, who hails from Bristol, was among those taking to X to share their disgust at the attacks, writing: ‘I was born here but this weekend it didn’t feel like home and I know so many who felt the same.’

Adding a heartbroken emoji, he said: ‘Guess we’ll all just go to work like normal Monday morning.’

Alex’s post was showered in support, with his follower @alexbcann writing: ‘Events of the last seven days have been heartbreaking. Social media has a lot to answer for too. You always brighten up our screens, Alex.’

@MarcoStevenco wrote: ‘I’m embarrassed to be English this weekend, completely and utterly disgusted watching some of the scenes trying to understand how anyone can behave this way and then go home and have absolutely no conscious atall. Sending love Alex!’

The Celebrity Across The World winner, whose father is of a Guyanese background, has previously shared his experiences being subjected to vile racist trolling online.

In the wake of his 2021 row with Piers Morgan about Meghan Markle – which led to the Uncensored host infamously storming off the GMB set and quitting – Alex revealed he was ‘subjected to relentless racism myself on social media’, which led to him taking a step back from the platforms.

‘Three weeks ago I took part in a television debate about the decision of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to publicly reveal the racism they claimed to have suffered as members of the Royal Family, and the impact on their mental health,’ he wrote for The Telegraph in April 2021.

The presenter has previously spoken about the horrific racism he’s faced (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/REX)

‘Since then I have been subjected to relentless racism myself on social media. I haven’t announced it (like the former Arsenal player Thierry Henry did this week when he publicly quit social media, in response to anonymous racist bullying) but I have been forced to step away from Twitter and Facebook myself, because it was getting too much. I am a strong person, but I am not made of steel.’

In his article, Alex also referenced the report recently released by the government’s Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities, which concluded that there was no ‘evidence’ of institutional racism in the UK.

The presenter said that the review delivers a ‘false sense of hope that our work is done’, while also giving ‘social media racists the comfort to push a little bit further as they hide in plain sight’.

He emphasised that in his view, social media is a ‘reflection of a bigger problem in society’.

On Monday’s Good Morning Britain, viewers were left outraged by host Ed Balls’ interview style and comments about the riots, as he and Kate Garraway quizzed MP Zarah Sultana on why it was so important that the attacks were called ‘Islamophobic’.

At one point, he claimed Sultana was ‘attacking’ him, while continuing to interrupt her answers.

The interview was branded ‘unacceptable and deeply uncomfortable viewing’, as other viewers called Balls ‘unprofessional’ and ‘condescending’.

He later interviewed his own wife, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, with other viewers arguing it should not have been allowed for Balls to host that segment, and questioning his ability to remain unbiased.

Good Morning Britain airs weekdays from 6am on ITV1.

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