GMB viewers furiously slam 'insulting' interview on Amy Winehouse's birthday

14 September 2023 , 11:37

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GMB viewers furiously slam 'insulting' interview on Amy Winehouse's birthday

Good Morning Britain viewers have expressed their discomfort over an interview conducted by Susanna Reid and Ben Shephard.

The ITV news programme hosts were back on Thursday (September 14), as they discussed the latest news from across the globe. One of the guests who sparked controversy was Blake Fielder-Civil, the late Amy Winehouse's ex-husband. He appeared on the programme to discuss his relationship with Winehouse on what would have been her 40th birthday.

Winehouse, renowned for her chart-topping hits of the 2000s such as Back To Black, Rehab, Valerie, and Tears Dry On Their Own, tragically died from alcohol poisoning in her Camden home on July 23, 2011, at the age of 27.

Blake Fielder-Civil appeared on Good Morning Britain, on Amy Winehouse's 40th birthday (Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

Fielder-Civil was in the studio, and was questioned about his time with Winehouse and how he has 'taken the blame' for her death for over a decade. When asked what he would have done differently in retrospect, the 41-year-old responded: "Almost everything... I didn't know what I was doing. I wasn't going into that with the intention of this happening."

He added, "I don't think people around Amy, me, or family or friends, none of them would think that this is what I would have wanted. But equally, I'd think that they would have said this. Amy wouldn't want me to have taken the burden for the past 10-plus years."

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In a candid conversation, Susanna probed: "You were a mess back, weren't you? Do you feel like you're trying to sort yourself out?" To which he admitted: "Yeah, I am." The presenter then harked back to his last GMB appearance in 2018, noting: "You look better than the last time when we spoke to you a few years ago."

Susanna further questioned whether there was any possibility of reestablishing a relationship with Amy's family. She asked, "I wonder whether there is some kind of relationship that you can reestablish with Amy's family? Or whether they have any interest, or whether that's too sensitive for them?" Blake responded with uncertainty: "I'm not sure about their interests per se, but for me personally, that's something I go over in my head a lot."

Amy tragically died aged 27 on July 23, 2011 (Getty Images)

Many of Amy's fans have blasted Good Morning Britain for having Blake on the programme (Getty Images for NARAS)

He acknowledged the value of 'clean time' and the process of rebuilding himself, pondering, "But you are right, the more I've the more I've kind of come away from that and been able to put what I call 'clean time' under my belt, and as the months turn into years and you start kind of rebuilding yourself. There have been times where I thought 'Would there be value in me speaking to her family?' And maybe making some sort of reconciliation? Because we all loved that person."

Earlier in the conversation, Susanna had asked Blake if he felt people still held him "responsible for what happened to Amy," to which he explained: "That's one of the reasons I wanted to speak today... Yeah, I do. And that's OK. I can't change how other people feel about that. But for me personally, I needed to stop carrying that cross on my own."

In a candid confession, an individual shared: "I've carried my burden myself for over 10 years. I feel, to be honest, that I'm the only person within that story that's ever held any accountability. That's ever tried to say, 'Yeah I made some huge mistakes'... I was a 20-something-year-old drug addict so I had no idea how to make myself clean let alone somebody else..."

However, the timing of this interview on GMB didn't sit well with viewers. One Twitter voiced their discomfort, stating: "This interview feels wrong. It's Amy's 40th birthday, surely today we should be remembering all Amy's amazing achievements and her talent today, not raking over her dark past. #GMB." (sic)

Another viewer expressed dissatisfaction with the interview itself, questioning: "What on earth was that 'interview' with Blake Fielder-Civil?? #gmb." Similarly, a third chimed in with criticism, commenting: "Not one of GMB's greatest interviews. Expected a lot better."

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