TWITTER went into a tailspin yesterday after an ITV presenter made a joke about the Irish famine.
Alice Beer was presenting a segment on ITV's This Morning when she made the gaffe live on air.
During the segment, titled The Great Fridge Debate, Beer disagreed with This Morning host Eamonn Holmes about where to store potatoes.
"I'm from Ireland," the proud Belfast man said, "you don't put potatoes in the fridge."
"You want to preserve the life of your potatoes," Beer retorted, "You Irish should know that."
"There was a bit of a shortage once upon a time," Beer continued.
Angry viewers took to the social media platform to voice their disgust at Beer's Famine jibe:
AnnMarie O'Brien wrote: "Shortage of potatoes comment was a bit of a low blow."
Beer, a journalist and former co-presenter of BBC's Watchdog, later took to her Twitter account to apologise for the insensitive comment saying it was"stupid."
See some of the reaction and Beer's apology below...
Shortage of potatoes comment was a bit of a low blow @itvthismorning #GreatFridgeDebate
— AnnMarie O Brien (@Annieobrien7) August 17, 2016
Was that flippant comment about the Irish and potatoes really necessary? 😡 #ThisMorning
— These Days (@sometimes_angry) August 17, 2016
@slackalicebeer better to say nothing and look the fool than open your mouth and confirm it, read some history books #britishgenocide
— Patrick Barrett 🇮🇪 (@patbarrett32) August 17, 2016
#GreatFridgeDebate bit of Irish racism there? And making a mockery of the famine? Unacceptable for a national broadcaster @UTVIreland @utv
— John Dunne 🇺🇦#standwithukraine (@_johndunne) August 17, 2016
I have apologised for the insensitivity of my comment which of course was never intended to offend. It was stupid.
— Alice Beer (@_alicebeer) August 18, 2016
