Dermot O'Leary looks angry while Natalie Pike looks smug on This Morning
TV

Dermot O’Leary hits back at This Morning guest who accuses Prince William of ‘virtue signalling’

Dermot defended the Duke of Cambridge

Dermot O’Leary hit back at a This Morning guest after she accused Prince William of ‘virtue signalling’.

After the Duke of Cambridge offered a helping hand at the Big Issue in London, Natalie Pike seemed to believe that it was all for show.

However, This Morning host Dermot jumped in to defend the Prince’s gesture.

Natalie Pike looks smug on This Morning
This Morning guest Natalie Pike accuses Prince William of ‘virtue signalling’ (Credit: ITV)

Dermot O’Leary on This Morning

The UK’s future king, Prince William was spotted with a red vest and cap as he went undercover selling the Big Issue in London.

The Big Issue is a street paper and social enterprise that gives people who are homeless a helping hand.

However, This Morning guest Natalie Pike accused the gesture as ‘virtue signalling’.

Read more: This Morning stars Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary host as viewers fume

She admitted: “I’m afraid to say I think this is a little bit of virtue signalling from Prince William.

“I’m sorry, the royal family do a lot of charity work but there is always going to be comparisons to Princess Diana isn’t there. And I’ve just checked it out just now and what Princess Diana did was go out undercover at night and put coats in bins for homeless people.

“And I just think that’s the way to do it, rather than being out on the street and being on the front page of The Sun.”

Dermot O'Leary looks cross on This Morning
Dermot O’Leary hits back at This Morning guest after she accused Prince William of “virtual signalling” (Credit: ITV)

This Morning today

After hearing Natalie Pike’s comment, Dermot hit back at Natalie Pike and defended Prince William.

He said: “It’s not his fault he’s on the front page of The Sun! He doesn’t make that decision.

“This whole thing was that he was shown the ropes by [a] veteran vendor. You just don’t buy that?”

Read more: Stranger Things season 4: Who is Will Byers’ secret love interest? Fans are going wild!

Natalie replied: “No, not really. I think he was only out there for five minutes. So you know, I think it’s virtual signalling.”

However, Dermot cut in: “Do you know that or?” to which Natalie replied: “That’s what I read…”

Dermot added: “Read it?!”

Alison also cut in saying: “The thing is Natalie, he doesn’t have to do it. The fact that he’s done it, I think it’s really nice.”

“It’s brought awareness to the Big Issue, and I think I’m in that issue actually,” Alison joked.

YouTube video player

Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know what you think of our story.


Aaliyah Ashfield
Digital Marketing Apprentice