ITV This Morning viewers fume 'no need' as Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley face backlash

This Morning's latest instalment left viewers up in arms as the programme initiated with a yuletide theme.

Co-presenters Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard led the show on Wednesday (November 6), setting the scene for what was to follow. However, their lighthearted jig to Slade's hit song Merry Xmas alongside Christmas decorations did little to uplift some of the audience, as the duo cheerfully notified viewers about the countdown to Christmas being just seven weeks away.

The topic of Christmas scams was also teased as part of the day's discussions by Cat and Ben. But the festive flair failed to warm the hearts of all viewers, who quickly voiced their disappointment online at the premature holiday cheer.

A disgruntled viewer expressed on X: "It is 7 weeks away so no need to mention it yet," reports the Mirror.

While another exasperated fan remarked: "The last thing I need to be reminded about is Christmas when you have people suffering across the world still to this day."

A further comment came from an irked spectator stating: "Christmas is ages away. F off already with all of this #thismorning."

Another audience member suggested that This Morning might be deflecting attention from the major news of Donald Trump's presidential win by focusing on trivial stories, despite the programme briefly addressing the election result at its commencement. The viewer criticised: "Well, this is going to be a great show, why not sweep the biggest story in the world today under the rug and talk about these so-called 'Christmas scams'".

This Morning faced backlash from viewers in September after airing another Christmas-themed segment, which sparked outrage among fans. The show was criticised for "scraping the barrel" by featuring a guest who celebrates Christmas daily.

One viewer expressed their frustration on X, saying: "Well done producers, you have made the viewers hate the show even more. F****n Christmas segments in September."

Another viewer shared a similar sentiment: "I love Christmas because it's not everyday of the year, it's a special time of year which I love decorating the house for but I couldn't do that everyday of the year."

This Morning airs weekdays from 10am on ITV1.