Emily Maitlis breaks silence on Channel 4 US Election backlash after sparking Ofcom row with ‘unprofessional’ conduct
Emily Maitlis has hit back at Channel 4 viewers, claiming she was taken off-air halfway through for using offensive language when discussing Donald Trump.
The 54-year-old joined Krishnan Guru-Murthy on Channel 4 to cover the US Election, which saw Donald Trump re-elected as President of the United States.
Throughout the eight-hour coverage, the hosts were joined by the likes of Boris Johnson, Stormy Daniels and Sean Spicer to discuss the election.
In one discussion, Maitlis became passionate about the controversy surrounding some of Trump’s comments, in particular his claims that Haitian immigrants were stealing people’s pets and eating them.
She slammed: “It’s not that they disagree about one thing. The whole thing is asymmetric. When Donald Trump talked about eating cats and dogs.
“Half of America was thinking, ‘This is bats**t. I can’t believe what he’s saying. This is going to be the end of him’.”
Guests Joe Walsh and Carol Mosley Braun were left open-mouthed by her language, which forced Guru-Murthy to step in and say: “Stop swearing.
“I have to tell [the guests] off for swearing and then you do it,” he added before she quickly apologised for her blunder.
The former Strictly star later apologised for his co-star’s behaviour once again and said: “I’ll tell Emily off later because I know she started the swearing.
“It may be the middle of the night in Britain but they’re still a little bit sensitive about that stuff.”
Prayers for Emily Maitlis who couldn’t control herself and had to leave the studio. She needs take something for that TDS
pic.twitter.com/viGFqKdNfT
— Dee (@dili909) November 6, 2024
Viewers of the show were quick to slam Maitlis for her “unprofessionalism” and assumed she was taken off air for the incident after she went “missing” for part of the show.
One user slammed: “If @Ofcom doesn’t sanction Channel 4 for the behaviour of Emily Maitlis tonight then what on earth will they sanction them for?”
Someone else asked: “If OFCOM doesn’t sanction them then why do they even exist.”
A third noticed: “Maitlis now missing from action? She being told off in the backrooms for swearing and forgetting to be professional?”
Another said: “There’s a MAGA hat in the post to anyone who has the clip of @maitlis swearing and leaving the @Channel4News studio in disgrace.”
However, in a surprising turn of events, Maitlis responded to the post to sarcastically ask if she could win the hat, denying she had been removed from the show over her language.
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Do I get one ? Sadly no disgrace. Left to record @TheNewsAgents – for half an hour. episode here! https://t.co/TLeCrqoFyn enjoy ! https://t.co/meW2uGqykM
— emily m (@maitlis) November 6, 2024
She wrote in reply: “Do I get one? Sadly no disgrace. Left to record @TheNewsAgents – for half an hour. Episode here!”
She then posted a link to the episode in question and added: “Enjoy!” (sic)
While Maitlis’s conduct during the Channel 4 coverage of Trump’s historic win sparked uproar, she was far from the only broadcaster who came under fire for seemingly failing to mask her political leanings.
ITV’s Good Morning Britain was accused of “hitting a new low” with its coverage of the US election after Susanna Reid and Ed Balls were deemed to be “biased” in their approach to their guests.
