This Morning presenter Eamonn Holmes was today forced to apologise over his 5G rant, admitting that there is ‘no evidence’ of a link connecting the coronavirus and the new technology.
Before kicking off the programme this morning, Mr Holmes said that ‘there is no connection between the present national health emergency and 5G and to suggest otherwise would be wrong and indeed it could be possibly dangerous.’
This morning TV watchdog Ofcom said it is currently dealing with complaints made against Mr Holmes after the regulator received 419 complaints regarding his comments on 5G technology and the Covid-19 pandemic.
The co-presenter was criticised by scientists and viewers for comments he made about 5G technology and the coronavirus on the ITV programme.
Speaking today a spokesperson for Ofcom told MailOnline that they are currently processing the complaints and that a full statement regarding his comments will be issued later today.
Opening the programme today Mr Holmes said: ‘Before we go onto the programme I want to clarify some comments that some of you may have misinterpreted from me yesterday morning around conspiracy theories and the coronavirus and this involved the roll out of 5G.
‘Both Alice and me agreed in a discussion on this very programme about fake news that it’s not true and there is no connection between the present national health emergency and 5G and to suggest otherwise would be wrong and indeed it could be possibly dangerous.
‘Every theory relating to such a connection has proven to be false, and we would like to emphasise that, however many people are rightly concerned and are looking for answers, and that’s simply what I was trying to do, to impart yesterday.
‘But for the avoidance of any doubt, I want to make it clear there is no scientific evidence to substantiate any of those 5G theories.
‘I hope that clears that up’.
It comes as the former controller of BBC Radio 4 this morning slammed the presenter for his ‘stupid piece of broadcasting’.
Mark Damazer said the segment was ‘not something’ that broadcaster ITV would usually show.
Mark Damazer (pictured above) said the segment was ‘not something’ that broadcaster ITV would usually show
Speaking on BBC Radio 4 today Mr Damazer said: ‘One of the many curious things about Eamonn Holmes’ wonderings of his mind yesterday morning was his attack on the main stream media, as if ITV, an extremely important part of the British television landscape was not in itself a mainstream media outlet with an audience of millions based on the fact that it is very largely and quite rightly trusted by its audiences.
‘So what he did yesterday wasn’t a minor aberration or a blip, it was a hopelessly irresponsible, philosophically unbelievably light headed stupid piece of broadcasting and it will be up to ITV and Ofcom if they are interested to see what they want to do about it, but it was an aberration, it’s not what ITV usually does’.
Ofcom said they were assessing this as a ‘full priority’.
Mr Holmes was also yesterday branded ‘irresponsible’ for saying it it suits the ‘state narrative’ to dismiss bizarre theories linking the 5G network to the spread of the coronavirus.
He spoke out on the ITV show after presenter Alice Beer branded the conspiracy theories which link them as ‘ridiculous’ and ‘incredibly stupid’.
Holmes, 60, who was co-presenting with wife Ruth Langsford, responded that ‘it’s very easy to say it is not true because it suits the state narrative’.
Eamonn Holmes has been branded ‘irresponsible’ by some viewers over his comments on bizarre theories linking 5G phone masts and the spread of coronavirus on Monday’s episode of This Morning
He told Beer: ‘I totally agree with everything you are saying but what I don’t accept is mainstream media immediately slapping that down as not true when they don’t know it’s not true.
‘No-one should attack or damage or do anything like that but it’s very easy to say it is not true because it suits the state narrative.’
The presenter added: ‘That’s all I would say, as someone with an inquiring mind.’
His made the remarks after scientists dismissed any link, calling it a ‘physical and biological impossibility’ and branding conspiracy theorists ‘a public health danger’.
Viewers criticised the presenter’s comments and accused him of ‘legitimising’ the conspiracy theories.
Firefighters were called out to a mast which caught fire in the early hours of Friday, April 10 in Chelmsley Wood, Birmingham
@vickster51 wrote: ‘So I’ve just heard This Morning presenter Eamonn Holmes legitimise the stories linking the coronavirus lockdown to 5G. On national television. Wow. How irresponsible can you get. Switching off. Hope Holly and Phil are back soon.’
Johnson McJohnson wrote: ‘Does Eamonn Holmes believe the ridiculous 5G conspiracy?!’
Andy Green wrote: ‘Well done Eamonn. You just added more fuel to this 5G conspiracy theory by legitimising what is utter nonsense. You need to research properly before pronouncing.’
MPs have called for social media companies to be held to account following reports of phone masts being attacked after theories spread online.
And Ofcom is assessing comments made by David Icke about coronavirus.
The media watchdog previously ruled that a local radio station had breached its rules after one of its guests suggested the Covid-19 outbreak was caused by the rollout of 5G mobile technology.
This morning Mr Damazer said the case involving Mr Icke was different to that involving Mr Holmes.
‘It’s rather different because it’s a much smaller audience on London Live, a marginal television channel but nevertheless, tens of thousands of people watched David Icke spout his particular kind on nonsense, Ofcom are looking into that at the moment and we will see what they do’.
Earlier this month a mast in Birmingham caught alight in what was thought to be a 5G conspiracy-related arson attack.