Loose Women viewers were treated to an unexpectedly fiery moment on Friday when Gloria Hunniford and Kaye Adams clashed live in the ITV studio during a tense political debate about Keir Starmer.
The panel, which also featured Judi Love and Jane Moore, had been discussing the Prime Minister’s refusal to resign and the wider mood across the country when the conversation quickly became heated.
Kaye, 63, argued that the public were desperate for stability, saying: “I want to beat my head against a brick wall, all this country wants is a bit of stability, people want their lives to be better. That’s what you want, to be better.”
But Gloria, 86, pushed back firmly, insisting: “People want change. They do. They do.”
Kaye immediately challenged her, asking: “No Gloria, that’s an interesting thing. What is change? Define change for me.”
Gloria began explaining that many members of the public had been frustrated “from the very beginning” of Labour’s time in government, but as the exchange grew more animated, she appeared to sense another interruption coming.
“Just let me finish my bit…” Gloria said, trying to continue her point.
Kaye then argued that elections were the proper way for voters to remove a government, saying: “The thing is Gloria, you have an election, you vote in a government. We voted in Labour government, if the people decide they don’t want a Labour government, then they vote them out.”
Gloria replied: “But what you’re skipping is the mood of the people.”
Kaye hit back: “But you can’t talk about the mood of the people Gloria, because different people have different…”
Jane Moore then stepped in and asked Gloria whether she would like a general election, with Gloria confirming that she would. Kaye followed up by asking whether Gloria had voted Labour at the last election.
“I’m not telling you who I voted for,” Gloria replied.
As Kaye continued to make her point, Gloria finally snapped: “Kaye, just give me one second for goodness sake to speak. I sound like a politician!”
Judi Love tried to lighten the atmosphere with a joke, quipping: “This feels like parliament to me right there!”
The awkward exchange came after Kaye’s own difficult period away from ITV, following her exit from her £155,000-a-year BBC Radio Scotland show last year amid complaints of misconduct. Allegations reportedly included claims that she swore at a colleague, threw a pen and berated an intern.
Kaye has strongly denied the most serious claims, saying she “categorically” rejected allegations that she used a misogynistic slur 14 years ago or berated an intern.
She previously said: “I am heartbroken that 15 years of hard work and dedication to BBC Scotland is being reduced to this.”
Despite the controversy, Kaye remains a regular face on Loose Women, with several celebrity friends and colleagues publicly supporting her. Her former talent agent Melanie also defended her, writing that she could not imagine Kaye “throwing a pen” and describing her as “very calm even under fire.”
But on Friday’s Loose Women, it was Gloria who appeared to lose patience first, as a debate about Britain’s political future suddenly turned into one of the show’s most uncomfortable live clashes in recent memory.
