Eamonn Holmes slammed over 5G coronavirus comments on This Morning

Let’s face it, This Morning takes enough of a hit when Holly and Phillip are away, without one of their replacements peddling baseless conspiracy theories about 5G causing coronavirus.

During Monday’s broadcast Eamonn Holmes cast doubt on “mainstream media” reports that had quickly dismissed the notion that next-generation mobile data technology was behind the outbreak. Holmes said the theory, which had seen mobile masts vandalised in the UK and beyond, couldn’t be ruled out and criticised media outlets “slapping down” the notion.

“What I don’t accept is mainstream media immediately slapping that down as not true when they don’t know it’s not true,” Holmes said during the airing on ITV (via BBC). “No-one should attack or damage or do anything like that, but it’s very easy to say it is not true because it suits the state narrative. That’s all I would say, as someone with an inquiring mind.”

Later on Monday Holmes denied spreading the conspiracy theories, claiming he was simply questioning the established opinion. “I didn’t spread it… I reserve the right to listen and question,” he wrote in reply to a tweet criticising his comments on the matter.

Holmes was responding to This Morning’s consumer editor Alice Beer who called the vandalising of masts “incredibly stupid.” The Irishman’s comments drew the ire of many commentators online, including the scientists who’ve previously ruled out the possibility the 5G rollout could be having an impact.

5G conspiracy theories exhausting to debunk, but they're zombie myths that do serious harm. When people like @EamonnHolmes endorse them on air, it's exhausting. Eamonn, if you want to utilize your "enquiring mind", maybe talk to the scientists & physicians who are experts 1st ?

— Dr David Robert Grimes (@drg1985) April 13, 2020

 

“Electromagnetic waves are one thing, viruses are another, and you can’t get a virus off a phone mast, Dr Simon Clarke, associate professor in cellular microbiology at the University of Reading told the BBC. “Similarly, sensible studies have failed to corroborate the claim that the signals emitted by 5G masts are able to suppress our immune systems.”

Stephen Powis, the national medical director of NHS England has previously said: “The 5G story is complete and utter rubbish. It’s nonsense. It’s the worst kind of fake news. The reality is that the mobile phone networks are absolutely critical to all of us, particularly in a time when we are asking people to stay at home, and to not see relatives and friends.

“But in particular, those are also the phone networks that are used by our emergency services and our health workers. And I’m absolutely outraged, absolutely disgusted, that people would be taking action against the very infrastructure that we need to respond to this health emergency. It is absolute and utter rubbish, and I can’t condemn it in stronger terms than that.”