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Linda Robson has caught heat from angry Loose Women viewers after saying she ‘felt sorry’ for Boris Johnson while discussing the ongoing Covid inquiry.
The former Prime Minister appeared on Wednesday for a grilling as part of the investigation, arriving three hours ahead of schedule.
Mr Johnson’s early arrival meant he avoided the families of those who died from Covid who convened to protest.
Discussing the inquiry, which is being led by Hugo Keith KC, on today’s episode of Loose Women with fellow panellists Jane Moore, Sunetra Sarker and Charlene White, Linda, 65, riled people up with her sympathy for the politician.
‘I feel a bit sorry for Boris because it was one of those things that you could never, ever foresee that happening – it was just like overnight our whole lives changed, didn’t they?’ she began.
‘And who would know what to do about the vaccine or whatever? My daughter’s dad was in hospital at the time and no one could go and visit him.’
Actress Linda Robson said she ‘felt a bit sorry’ for Boris Johnson (Picture: ITV)
She added: ‘It affected so many people but it was like a war-torn country, wasn’t it, [when] we were all in lockdown, like in our shelters during the war – no cars on the street, no planes in the sky, no one could go and see their loved ones.
‘But who could see that happening?’
Charlene, who was chairing the episode, pointed out in response: ‘The argument some have given is it was the preparedness for any sort of virus to hit this country and how prepared were we, should something of that ilk happen? And we weren’t then.’
While Linda’s initial comment on Mr Johnson did draw some claps of support from the studio audience, many online were unimpressed.
She questioned ‘who could see the pandemic happening’ as the former PM answered questions at the UK Covid-19 Inquiry on Wednesday (Picture: UK Covid-19 Inquiry/PA)
‘Linda saying she feels sorry for Boris #ffs Thousands died b/c [sic] of his ineptitude and incompetence. His job was to protect the citizens he was elected to serve and he failed,’ one viewer posted.
One fan recalled Linda applauding Johnson for ‘riding round Islington on his bike waving at people & saying hello’, venting that she ‘now says she felt sorry for him during the pandemic’.
‘Did he feel sorry for you while enjoying his little soirees and breaking lockdown wake up ffs [sic]?’ they added.
Another viewer sniped that they were ‘surprised’ to see Linda in the studio.
Her comments on Loose Women frustrated fans online (Picture: ITV)
‘Why is she not at home watching her beloved Boris lying through his teeth?’ they asked.
‘I can’t believe Linda compared 2020 Covid UK to war-torn countries ffs [sic],’ commented another viewer.
It’s not the first time that Linda, who recently separated from her husband of 33 years, has commented positively on Mr Johnson during a Loose Women appearance.
In July 2022, she confessed she was ‘really sad’ to see him resign and even offered the ‘now homeless’ PM her spare room.
Last September, there were also heated exchanges on an episode of Loose Women as Brenda Edwards bemoaned his ‘lying’ and Janet Street Porter criticised the accuracy of claims made in his goodbye speech.
Linda has previously called herself a ‘big fan’ of Mr Johnson’s (Picture: ITV)
‘I’ve always been a big fan of Boris because he lived in Islington and I used to see him all the time,’ Linda told the panel for what is definitely not the first time.
‘You can’t like people just because they lived in Islington!’ Janet jumped in, with Linda insisting: ‘He was a nice man!’
Moments after Mr Johnson was sworn into the inquiry this morning, one attendee was ushered out after standing up and reportedly speaking to Mr Johnson who had been apologising for the ‘pain’ families experienced.
He began, ‘How sorry I am for the pain and the loss – ‘ before the inquiry chair interrupted him, saying to others in the room: ‘Please sit down. Please sit down or I’m afraid you’ll have to leave.’
Upon his resignation last July, she even offered the ‘now homeless’ politician her spare room (Picture: S Meddle/ITV/Shutterstock)
Four people were escorted out of the inquiry within the first hour.
While discussing the government’s early response to Covid, Mr Johnson said he was ‘not being informed that this was something that would require urgent and immediate action’.
‘We hadn’t seen something like this for a century. What we did remember wasn’t helpful.
‘What the system did remember was SARS, MERS and swine flu – diseases which had an impact in Asia but ultimately were relatively benign in the UK.
Mr Johnson apologised during the inquiry for the ‘pain’ bereaved families experienced (Picture: UK Covid-19 Inquiry)
‘If I had to guess an answer to your question, that was probably the default mindset. That was basically because people were operating on their lived experience.’
He added: ‘I certainly would accept that my mindset, like the mindset of I think the majority of the officials in Whitehall in that period, January to mid February, was not as alarmed as we should have been.’
The pandemic killed more than 230,000 people in Britain and infected many millions more.
Loose Women airs weekdays from 12:30pm on ITV1.
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It’s not the first time she has defended the former PM.