Ed Balls Disappears from GMB Right as Wife Yvette Cooper Arrives Viewers Left Chuckling

There was a bit of a cheeky moment on Good Morning Britain that didn’t go unnoticed when Ed Balls made a sudden and rather well-timed exit just as his wife, Yvette Cooper, appeared on screen to discuss Labour’s latest take on immigration.

Co-host Kate Garraway was left to steer the ship solo as Ed vanished just before the Home Secretary joined the show. But if she was thrown off, she didn’t show it for a second. The seasoned presenter powered ahead, opening the segment with some tough questions about the new ‘one in, one out’ migrant policy, reported the Mirror.

Kate went in hard: “Now, the first illegal migrants that will be returned to France under the ‘one in, one out’ deal are set to be detained within days, but critics say it will barely scratch the surface when 25,000 people have crossed the Channel so far this year.”

Turning to Yvette, she pushed for clarity, asking: “Can you just clear up when this is coming in? I think the Home Office told us yesterday it was today, but I believe on another broadcaster, you said it was actually tomorrow. Can we just clarify that quickly, first of all?”

Yvette confirmed that the treaty was indeed being laid out that day, along with the new immigration rules to support it. She added, “That means, in practice, they come into force tomorrow and that means that we can start detaining people within a matter of days,” according to the Express.

Kate wasn’t holding back, highlighting the current numbers that show only about 50 people are being sent back each week, pointing out: “It is a proverbial drop in the ocean and no deterrent at all.”

Yvette responded that the scheme would start off small and build up over time, describing that as “the nature of it being a new deal.”

What made the exchange all the more curious was Ed Balls’ absence—timed perfectly to dodge the awkwardness of interviewing his own wife on live television. The former politician had previously faced backlash for chatting with Yvette on air, with some viewers branding it as “biased”.

Once the segment wrapped, Ed casually returned after the ad break, with Kate acknowledging his brief disappearance by explaining: “Ed, of course, removed himself during our interview with the Home Secretary because he is married to her.”

As expected, viewers at home had a field day. One cheeky viewer posted on X: “Ed’s popped off for a cuppa to make it look like he’s not Yvette’s husband #gmb.”

Another chimed in with: “Ed you can come from under the desk now #gmb.” And someone else gave a shoutout to the whole moment: “#GMB lovely cosy interview with Ed’s wife the Home Secretary this morning. Well done Kate, they’re probably having dinner together tonight.”

It was one of those slightly awkward but amusing TV moments that sparked a good bit of banter, and Kate’s professional coolness didn’t go unnoticed either.