Eamonn Holmes attempts to ‘clarify’ 5G coronavirus comments after complaints

Eamonn Holmes has sparked complaints after his comments about 5G and coronavirus. Photograph: ITV. - Credit: Archant

Eamonn Holmes has attempted to ‘clarify’ his comments on 5G technology and coronavirus after hundreds of complaints to OFCOM.

His comments on This Morning sparked 419 complaints after Alice Beer dismissed the conspiracy theories ‘ridiculous’ and ‘incredibly stupid’.

The broadcaster, who was co-presenting with wife Ruth Langsford, said that ‘it’s very easy to say it is not true because it suits the state narrative’.

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.’

OFCOM said it will assess the case as a ‘priority’ before Holmes used the programme the next day to claim that his comments had been ‘misinterpreted’.

He told viewers: ‘I want to clarify some comments that some of you may have misinterpreted from me yesterday, around conspiracy theories and coronavirus, and this involved the rollout of 5G.

‘Both Alice Beer and myself agreed in a discussion on this very programme on 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 been proven to be false and we would like to emphasise that.

‘However, many people are rightly concerned and 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’s no scientific evidence to substantiate any of those 5G theories. I hope that clears that up now.’

Experts have previously dismissed any link, calling it a ‘physical and biological impossibility’ and branding ‘conspiracy theorists … a public health danger’.

Scientists criticised his comments.

Professor Brendan Wren, professor of microbial pathogenesis at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said: ‘I welcome inquiring minds, but this needs to be based on some fact and not pedalled as a conspiracy as this causes untold damage.’

OFCOM is also assessing comments made by David Icke about coronavirus.

And 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.