OPINION - I'm shocked at the public reaction to Piers Morgan's interview with the 'real' Martha from Baby Reindeer

Piers Morgan’s interview of Fiona Harvey last night was car crash TV at its very worst.

Watching Harvey, who believes she is the inspiration behind the deeply troubled Baby Reindeer stalker ‘Martha’ flounder over even the most basic questions, was deeply uncomfortable to watch.

Painfully unprepared, tripping over simple facts, and at times allowed to veer onto bizarre tangents, the hour-long show felt plainly irresponsible to air.

Presented by Morgan as her “chance to set the record straight” it was clear from the outset that the Scottish lawyer had no reasonable rebuttal of many of the claims made about her.

The interview instead acted only as a platform from which to further promote her identity, opening her up to greater scrutiny and undoubtedly more online vitriol.

Evidently already struggling with the media attention of the past few weeks, Harvey explained why she’d agreed to speak out, saying: "It wasn't really a choice. I was forced into this situation... some of the death threats have been really terrible online, people phoning me up. It's been horrendous."

Deeply disturbed by what I was watching, I soon opened X, keen to feel some reassurance from what I expected to be widespread condemnation of the show for allowing such a vulnerable individual to condemn herself in this way.

However, instead I found only a barrage of cruel memes, poking fun at Harvey and the glaring inconsistencies of her claims.

This complete lack of empathy or understanding from the public was for me, perhaps even more shocking than the show itself, speaking volumes about the considerable mental health crisis this country faces.

As the questions went on and Ms Harvey’s contradictory and fast-changing claims continued, at times even Morgan began to look uncomfortable — so demonstrably unconvincing were her answers that the whole thing just felt cruel.

At best, this stunt was the rolling out of a naive and unprepared victim of a media storm, and at worst was the explicit exploitation of an individual who is deluded with mental illness.

Turning off the TV I couldn’t help but feel deep dread for where this story goes next.

Samantha Herbert is the Evening Standard’s Head of Digital Strategy