‘Unqualified to present!’ fume BBC Breakfast fans after Jon Kay interview – swiping ‘just read the autocue’

BBC Breakfast viewers were left fuming after watching Jon Kay interview Kevin Hollinrake, complaining that he was unqualified to present.

During a guest appearance on the morning news programme the Conservative MP was questioned about comments made by the Tory party's biggest donor.

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Frank Hester allegedly said looking at Diane Abbott made him "want to hate all black women".

Presenter Jon asked if Kevin would still be happy to accept a donation of £10 million from Frank after this revelation.

He affirmed that he would, and claimed the Tories don't consider his comments to be racist.

Some viewers felt Jon was out of his depth when conducting his line of questioning, and hit out that he should have stuck to the script.

One person complained: " Oh dear! Jon Kay, labouring tragically a point with a government minister! Was as if BBC Breakfast had nothing else to cover today, in the end Jon was embarrassing!"

A second added: "Who the hell does Jon Kay think he is? Demanding that the £10 million be paid back to the donor?

"Time and time again he and Nugent show how unqualified they are to present Breakfast.

A third moaned: "Kay, who do you think you are, a Political correspondent ? Just Read the News Auto Cue."

However, other BBC Breakfast fans thought he handled the conversation well.

One person praised him for holding the government to account, saying: "Well done Jon Kay. Not letting the latest Tory apologist off the hook for once."

Another agreed, writing: "Excellent from Jon Kay.

"Kevin Hollinrake thinks that if Hester offered to give another £10 million to the Tories today they’d accept it because he’s not a racist! Good grief."

Mr Hester sparked outrage this week after it emerged he said the UK’s longest serving black MP “should be shot” at a meeting in 2019.

At a meeting in 2019 he also commented: “I make a lot of jokes about racism, about our different creeds and cultures.

“I want to clear the air and make sure we all know where we are, what we stand for, and we take the piss out of the fact that all our Chinese girls sit together in Asian corner, which they do.”

Responding, Ms Abbott said: "It's frightening. I am a single woman and that makes me vulnerable anyway. But to hear someone talking like this is worrying.”

Cops are understood to have been contacted in relation to Mr Hester's comments about Ms Abbott.

A Met spokesperson said: "On Monday, 11 March officers from the Parliamentary Liaison and Investigation Team were contacted in relation to a report about an MP that appeared in the Guardian.

"We are assessing the matter and are liaising with West Yorkshire Police as the alleged incident is believed to have taken place in Leeds.

"Officers from the Parliamentary Liaison and Investigation Team remain in contact with the MP."