Piers Morgan criticises Iceland boss over banned Christmas advert on 'GMB'

·Contributor

13 November 2018 at 8:43 am

Good Morning Britain presenter Piers Morgan got into a heated debate with the managing director of Iceland on Tuesday (November 13) over the supermarket’s controversial Christmas advert.

The now banned advert raised awareness of the affects of deforestation on wildlife – depicted by a cartoon orangutan – but Morgan was quick to note that the supermarket is still stocking palm oil-based products.

The company’s managing director Richard Walker came under fire from Morgan, who asked: “Hang on, you’re not compelled to stock anything are you?”

Walker replied: “Well we need to give customers a range of everyday products.”

‘We’re not anti-palm oil, we’re anti-deforestation.’
Iceland boss defends existence of palm oil in some products on sale in their stores, despite viral ‘no palm oil’ ad. pic.twitter.com/rcfGEHKVsQ
— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) November 13, 2018

Unsatisfied with his response, Morgan fired backed: “You’re the boss of Iceland, you are not legally required, by law, to stock anything are you? Are you?”

“No course not,” confirmed Walker.

Morgan then questioned why the supermarket continues to stock 200 palm oil-based products, despite the message of their Christmas advert.

“We don’t have to, but it’s about…” Walked said before Morgan interrupted: “So why do you?”

The Iceland boss explained that they want to give “customers the choice”, but Morgan still wasn’t having it.

Iceland’s Christmas advert depicted the effects of deforestation on wildlife

“You want me to fall in love with those orangutan it’s a serious question. If you feel so strongly about it, why don’t you get rid of all the products that you are currently stocking, which kill orangutans?” asked a frustrated Morgan.

Walker replied: “Because if customers come into our stores and they see Iceland on the label, they can be assured that it doesn’t contain palm oil, this is about giving customers a choice, where previously there was none.”

Co-host Susanna Reid added: “Except the campaigning video seems to be deliberately aimed at saying to people, ‘don’t make that choice.’

“The whole point of this video is that palm oil is bad, so it’s slightly weird isn’t it when you say you’re going to give people a choice to buy palm oil, because either you’re against it and everything it does to the environment or you don’t care about it?”