Rob Rinder has branded Prince Harry and Meghan Markle winning a human rights award ‘problematic’ as he unleashed his feelings during Tuesday’s Good Morning Britain.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are set to receive the gong at tonight’s Ripple of Hope gala, an event that honours people for their humanitarian efforts, however, the presenter couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable that they had won the accolade.
Before co-host Susanna Reid expressed her sympathy towards the royal couple, whose explosive Netflix series is due for release on December 8, Rinder weighed in on the award, which had been granted to them for challenging the racism within the royal family.
Not holding back, he said: ‘Now, that’s worthy of a human rights award?
‘Surely what you would do is you have the profound and clear and honest humility as a human being, to know that there are real people out there who you should accept the award for, given the real human rights work they do.’
Rinder continued: ‘You can tell I feel quite passionately about this. The idea I, or anybody else here would accept a human rights award given what is going on around the world, strikes me at the very least – to use the language of that world – problematic.’
Harry and Meghan will be handed the award, which has previously been handed to the likes of US President Joe Biden and former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, as well as former Democratic Presidential hopefuls Hillary Clinton and Al Gore.
The gala is organised by the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights foundation, named after President Kennedy’s younger brother, who was assassinated in 1968.
Reflecting on the couple’s achievement, President of Robert F.Kennedy Human Rights, Kerry Kennedy, said: ‘They went to the oldest institution in UK history and told them what they were doing wrong, that they couldn’t have structural racism within the institution; that they could not maintain a misunderstanding about mental health.
Elsewhere on today’s Good Morning Britain, Reid voiced compassion for Harry and Meghan after revealing that she has endured the ‘horrible’ experience of being followed by press.’
‘I’ve been in a car and I know there has been a photographer in a car following me,’ she told co-star Rinder and guests Kevin McKenzie and Andrew Pierce, to which McKenzie pointed out the images wouldn’t be used.
‘I understand there’s a remedy after the effect, but what I’m saying is that didn’t stop the fact that it happened at the time,’ she added.
Good Morning Britain airs weekdays from 6am on ITV1.