Viewers slam Julie Etchingham for not controlling ‘chaotic’ debate

Voters watching last night’s heated debate between Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer have slammed ITV for allowing the political leaders to constantly speak over one another.

Viewers accused ITV host Julie Etchingham of failing to control the ‘chaotic’ debate which saw the Conservative and Labour leaders go head-to-head in the first general election debate.

The Prime Minister and Sir Keir repeatedly clashed over taxes, the NHS and immigration, but the live show quickly descended into chaos as Ms Etchingham desperately tried to regain control. 

The veteran newsreader repeatedly had to shout ‘thank you’ in an attempt to move the debate on and in one tense moment as the pair argued over immigration she raged: ‘Rishi Sunak please can we just! Please, gentlemen! We will lower our voices.’

While some social media users slated Mr Sunak and Mr Starmer for talking over one another, many also hit out at Ms Etchingham for allowing them to do so.

Reacting to last night’s debate, X user Rob Burley wrote: ‘I’ve seen Julie Etchingham control these well in the past. This one has not been controlled and seems incredibly rushed and chaotic.’

ITV host Julie Etchingham attempts to control a heated debate between Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer

ITV viewers slammed the debate as ‘incredibly rushed and chaotic’ as Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer clashed 

Carol Morrell agreed, posting: ‘Julie Etchingham has been good in the past but not tonight. Asking Starmer to answer the question but leaving Sunak unchallenged when he won’t let Starmer get a word in.’ 

Steve Cole wrote: ‘Julie, please get hold of this, stop letting him talk over you.’ 

And a fourth user, Tony Bickley, posted:’ Imagine a world where the most annoying person at the debate is Julie Etchingham. Just let them speak. We want to hear them, not you!’

After the halfway point, Ms Etchingham did deliver a ‘gentle reminder’ to the politicians to not speak over one another.

She warned: ‘Welcome to Sunak vs Starmer, the ITV debate. The first half was dominated by the cost of living and public services, now just a little information for both of our candidates here.

‘Please an appeal from me, not to speak over one other. We want to make sure that everybody can hear what you’re saying. That was a gentle reminder, it may not be so gentle next time.’

But her pleas did little to stop the pair clashing and talking over one another in the second half of the debate.

One user, Chris Purvis, wrote: ‘Am I the only person hugely irritated by Sunak constantly talking over Starmer and running over his time? Julie Etchingham needs to be stronger!’

And John Spiers said Ms Etchingham was ‘incapable’ of stopping Mr Sunak shouting over his opposition, describing the debate as ‘atrocious’ and ‘absolutely pointless’.

Other users sympathised with Ms Etchingham, with one saying she did a ‘good job moderating this boisterous debate – considering the crosstalk’.

The leaders clashed on a number of topics including immigration, with Mr Sunak arguing that Rwanda policy could help stop small boats. When Sir Keir branded it an ‘expensive gimmick’ Mr Sunak shot back: ‘You might not like it but I’ve got a plan.’ 

Sir Keir also taunted the Tory leader that he was the ‘most liberal’ PM because legal net immigration is running at record levels – with the latest figures 685,000 a year.

This is the moment that Julie Etchingham had to intervene to tell the political leaders to lower their voices

Viewers voiced their frustration as they watched the first TV debate of this year’s general election campaign

There were also groans from the audience as Mr Sunak was challenged over NHS waiting lists, and claimed they were ‘coming down’. ‘They are coming down from when they were higher,’ he said.

Mr Sunak was targeted with more muttering from the crowd as he said the health service had been hit by ‘industrial action’. ‘So you’re blaming someone else,’ Sir Keir shot back.

The stakes for the premier have been underlined by huge Survation research showing Labour is on track for the biggest majority in modern political history at 324 seats – compared to the 179 margin Tony Blair achieved.

The survey – conducted using the so-called MRP technique – projected the Conservatives would be reduced to just 71 MPs.

Mr Sunak would barely manage to cling on to his own Richmond & Northallerton constituency. It also suggested Reform could win three, as Nigel Farage launches his bombshell bid to win a constituency.

MailOnline has contacted ITV for comment.