Richard Madeley angers GMB viewers after 'disrespecting' Sir David Attenborough

Richard Madeley left Good Morning Britain viewers furious today after he described Sir David Attenborough as "just a broadcaster".

The morning show presenter came under heavy criticism for his comments during a debate about the Extinction Rebellion protest in London.

The protest movement's co-founder Dr Gail Bradbrook apologised on behalf of the protestors who had been arrested for committing public order and highway blocking offences. She then looked emotional as she spoke of her fears for the planet, and how her children may not have enough food to eat in the coming years.

【ギャラリー】Richard Madeley25

"I have two boys, 10 and 13, and they won't have enough food to eat in a few years' time. Sir David Attenborough said the collapse of this civilisation could happen soon," said Dr Bradbrook.

Madeley then stunned viewers as he replied: "He's [Attenborough] not a saint you know. He's just a broadcaster."

Insulted viewers instantly took to Twitter to vent their anger at the presenter, with one person writing: "David Attenborough is NOT "just" a broadcaster.... Without him and his documentaries, we as a human race would not currently know the extent of the world's destruction cause by our own race! He is a living legend and should be listened to at all costs!"

An emotional Dr Bradbrook insisted that more needs to be done to tackle the global warming crisis, adding: "We're not here to get people to like us. We're here to get people to have a conversation.

"I don't want to wind people up and I do apologise for the inconvenience being caused. But you can here the emotion in my voice."

Unapologetically, Madeley then asked if the protests were purely just to gain publicity, before adding: "Can we stop with the mission statement?"

Sir David Attenborough's latest nature series Our Planet, itself a cautionary tale about the dangers of global warming, is available to stream on Netflix now.

- This article first appeared on Yahoo